Artist Interview | Corine Ko
Ahead of our next exhibition at the gallery - Corine Ko "Serenity" - we talked to the artist about her work and what inspires her...
Q. Tell us a bit about your painting technique…when you start a painting, do you visualise how it will look when it’s finished or do you let the painting develop?
A. I have no clear vision at the start as I let myself be guided purely by the materials and my paintbrush. I work with a succession of layers: plaster, ink, Japanese paper, acrylic etc. After mixing all these materials, the architecture of the painting makes sense.
Q. What is your favourite subject to paint?
A. Photography and my painted creations are both equally important, as I also practice photography and image manipulations. It is the characters that inspire me, as well as the meaning of painting through its décor and history.
Q. How long do you typically work on a painting? How do you know when it’s finished?
A. I work on several paintings at once as the preparation work takes the longest. Once the preparation is finished, I use materials and techniques that dry quickly; I feel an urgency in expressing myself so I need to work fast. Materials that require a long drying time are not for me! Knowing when a painting is finished is quite a miracle. It is entirely irrational in my case because I would not be able to explain why.
Q. Do you have a favourite artist? Who or what inspires you?
A. My work is often compared to Gustav Klimt and even though I am much less decorative in my paintings, I am very flattered by the comparison. I admire Chagall, Soulage and Flemish paintings and I am often inspired by poetic literature and music.
Q. There is sometimes a rope or string that the figure in your painting is holding; what does this signify?
A. The ropes and strings symbolise different ways of connecting: connecting to yourself, to others, to nature and the universe. My women are anchored but at the same time aerial as they sail between the earth and the sky.
"Your Echo" Original Mixed Media on Canvas