Artist in conversation: Despoina Kantere
Despoina Kantere is 44 years old and lives in Gothenburg, Sweden. She has been drawingand painting the last decade. Her mainly profession is dermatologist and
researcher.
Make sure to follow Despoina here.
-What art do you most identify with?
I identify myself more with a near to realistic figurative art that has a sense of
poetry in it.
- Can you describe one artwork or series from your oeuvre that you feel
was pivotal in your career?
My artwork” Raw” and” The material”. People reacted for the first time very
positive. They represent women in a half nude mode thus the erotism is
secondary, they appeal coming from another world, lost in their own existence
but at the same time there are so present.
- Which other great artists inspire you and why?
I love Diego Velasquez and from the contemporary Odd Nerdrum and Steven
Bauman and many many others of course.
Odd Nerdrum is absolutely unique artist combining the ultimate technique with
a phenomenal way to visualize humans and situations totally exposed in a
tremendous emotional state.
Steven Bauman is one of the most accurate, academic perfect portrait artists of
our time and a really great teacher.
Diego Velazquez is definitely the best of the best, an artist that succeeded to
combine form, light, colour, emotion, detail and mood in every of his
masterpiece. One can observe his paintings and never stop learning; it is a
lifetime observation and learning.
- Can you talk about the process of creating your work?
Well, I paint in oil. It starts usually with an idea that takes a while to take form
in my head. But I never do a full project in my head, the project develops
through the process of painting. I paint in layers, not alla prima. So, I have time
to think and reconsider between the layers, I experiment a lot! I am not
perfectionist but I give soul to the painting. I work many many hours creating
the face. The human is always in the centre of the creation, the observers eye
goes first to the human and then to the clothes and the environment, that is why
the latter are very simple. I paint from both imagination and real people.
- What advice would you give to emerging artists entering the art world?
To believe in their ideas, the ideas that represent them and try to give soul to
them. Do not give up but prepare yourself for a very hard work, endless hours,
failures and successes. However, enjoy the amazing journey of creation.
- What do you hope that the public takes away from your art?
I hope that the public can observe the people in my paintings, see their
contrasts, their loneliness, their soul and understand a little bit more ourselves,
us humans. I would like them to understand that art can be strong in its
simplicity and see the way I see “realism”.
- What is your dream project?
Well, I would like one day to create very big size oil paintings with multiple
figures in them and eventually more narrative art but by always having the
“human” in the centre.
- Finally, are there any projects you are currently working on and able to
speak about?
I am preparing an excibition which will take place in Gothenburg/Sweden
where I live hopefully 2024.
