Eighth edition of the"Who's Next?" Initiative features:
LUIZA MATYBA
International Model, Actress and Cover Model for Vogue - L'Officiel.
What a pleasure speaking to Luiza, this Q&A is filled with fascinating insights about her past, lessons she's learnt along the way, Asia's influence on her life and art work, and much more.
Q. Tell us about yourself and how your art career reached this present stage?A. From my early childhood, I have always been interested in art. Doing things like: painting on an easel in my parents garden or attending music school for many of my early years. I even once tried my hand at designing clothes, by taking a couple of courses and creating various outfits at home. Eventually however, I started modelling, travelling all around the world and online University, which unfortunately distracted me from my artistic aspirations somehow. Luckily, what goes around comes around and last year during Art Basel in Miami I managed to reconnect to my artistic roots. I started mixing miscellaneous photos together as my daily inspirations. Frankly speaking, it has never crossed my mind that one day they might receive a lot attention from others as I always treated them like a perfect gateway.
Q. Tell the audience what your art talks about?A. Nowadays, everything is presented either pessimistically or artificially. I would love to show the world, the world being breathtaking, colourful, with an influx of advantages and full of surprises. That’s why I am frequently using different views of nature, pictures of places, buildings as well as animals. Moreover, I am a huge supporter of women’s rights. Currently, everything has flipped on its head. Women are willing to be independent and strong and at the same time somehow they’re loosing their femininity. I think that’s not the right direction. The female and male energy should be balanced. What’s more, we are faced with licentious images of the female appearance. Nudity is beautiful, but with taste. By mixing my personal pictures, for example: from one of my photoshoots, a simple selfie or even shots of my friends, with various diverse elements my main goal is to show powerful and independent women, who are aware of their beauty and sexuality, while at the same time juxtaposing a woman who is subtle, full of class and respects herself. I love provocative things. Taboo subjects are generally avoided in social media, talking in terms of a utopian image of life through instagram, as are current problems happening in the world right now. In my opinion, it’s worthwhile to show these subjects using art as it has much more resonance. Subtlety mixed with intolerable topics will always have a much bigger impact on the society.
Q. You previously spent some time in Asia, did your time here influence your artwork in anyway? If yes, how so and in what ways? A. Somehow yes. At the start of my modelling career I was traveling a lot through Asia. It gave me an opportunity to visit various places and gain perspective. At that time I took many photos which I am currently using to in my art. Asia is extremely picturesque and full of surprises. The East is positively unpredictable and you never know what might happen just like in art. You have no clue when inspiration might hit you and you come up with an idea.
Q. What do you value most from your experience working as a model? A. I’ve started modelling quite late, however, because of that I managed to approach my job consciously and take additional benefits from it. Due to the fact I travelled a lot it gave me an opportunity to meet plenty of people, who inspired me with their personality and helped me see the world from different perspectives. Primarily, I managed to meet many professionals such as: photographers, make up artists as well as stylists, who in turn, somehow taught me many skills useful in the modelling industry. You never know what life will bring, so I think it's simply worth it to just accept all things that come to you in life, the good ones as well as the bad ones. The fashion business is definitely connected with art.
Q. Describe to us the creative process behind your art creation.A. As a matter of a fact everything for me is an inspiration. People, their daily behaviours, places, various events from my personal live. I don’t have a particular preparation for when it might hit and only once in a blue moon I will plan out what to create. I have found that usually, the least planned things are the ones that turn out the greatest. That’s the paradox of life.
Q. Tell us the events and projects you have going on or happening in the future so we can keep up to date!
A. Its actually a very good question! Hah...Being still a novice in this business I have no idea what tomorrow will bring. I am opened for new projects. C'est la vie!
It was Geneyclee Gallery's pleasure interviewing Luiza Matyba.
Do make sure you follow her journey by following her on social media
Instagram: @Luizamatyba
Next Who's Next? article - 29th November 2018.