Vanessa Peka is a 29 years old French artist. She grew up in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, where flowers travel through their scents while terraced gardens delight their eyes.
Then, settled in Paris since 2011, she discovers a capital where art heats up, shudders, bubbles.
Vanessa then discovers artists with different origins, styles and inspirations and is now attentive to the changes in contemporary art that accompany her in her own evolution.
She creates works and images conveying their own message, supporting them with a juxtaposition of expressionism and figurative. Leaving elements to hang up to reality, Vanessa's paintings allow the eye to be carried away to other perspectives.
While transmitting a certain energy, the fragments of nature are pretexts to create several degrees of reading, as plunging as dreamers.
Interview by Keenobby, a New York-based company promoting artists
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What is the main source of inspiration for your paintings?
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A blank canvas can be intimidating, but I seek inspiration from all sorts of sources. For example, I’m aware of my surroundings and I think about what colors are present during a specific moment of the day. Another source of inspiration comes from the emotions I felt during different experiences.
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How do you do to bring so much energy to your paintings?
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My paintings don’t always make sense– during my creative process I go through both messy and tidy phases. The movement you can find in my paintings is derived during my messy phases. On the other hand, I put a lot of effort into balancing the colors, which occurs during the tidy phases. It helps bring perspective to the canvas. I think a lot of the energy comes from the atmosphere (such as the music) of where I’m painting.
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How would you define your color palette and identity?
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I work with paints that are versatile. This is why I love mixing regular colors with metallics like gold or copper. It reflects the light in many ways and I try to make the best of it with knife and brush techniques. I use an extensive palette of colors, ranging from subtle pastels to bold vibrant hues. It corresponds to the mood I am in. I’m constantly learning new techniques, which is one of the reasons I’m so passionate about painting.
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Paris is a reference and attraction for many artists worldwide. Tell us about your favorite location to paint as a modern artist and painter.
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I have two favorite spots in Paris. First, is the Musée National d’Art Moderne, which is housed in the Centre Pompidou. Some of my favorites artists include the iconic Joan Mitchell and Wassily Kandinsky whose pieces both hang in the museum. The second is a little outside of Paris: Giverny. Here you can walk through the gardens where Monet found inspiration for many of his famous paintings. My dream is to have a canvas wide enough to bring in all the colors I’ve seen at Giverny.
