Today we’d like to introduce you to Kamila Kowalke.
Hi Kamila, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As a young child of Communist Poland in the early 80’s, I had to find beauty and peace where it often did not exist. As I gaze upon my life today, the challenges of being raised in that part of the world in a difficult and different generation began my search for the beauty in all things art.
In high school, I entertained the idea of studying art in college but given the fact that communism was on the verge of collapsing and making money was in vogue, I turned towards studying management and industrial engineering which led me to a career in Information Technology and later in Finance after I immigrated to the US. Over the next several years, I engrossed myself in my career and only painted sporadically when I needed to add color to my surroundings.
Having lived in the United States for over 20 years, most of those in California where I achieved success as a businesswoman in a high-pressure career, I often found myself drifting back to a simpler life where the beauty, creativity and imagination were hidden in a society that shunned freedom and individualism.
After many years I had an epiphany that what was once a great adventure and the embodiment of high-octane energy, trying to conquer the corporate world evolved into days filled with exhaustion and isolation and a disconnect from my femininity and my creative side. Some friends at that time had suggested that I find an activity that did not have an objective or goal but involved something peaceful, beautiful, relaxing… and this is how I started painting again… and the rest is history.
Creating art became a way to escape the pressure of business and to lose myself in my paintings and create a new world. A world of joy and laughter and humility and appreciation that I am a part of this amazing universe and all it has to offer.
Painting is my lifeline to the realization of meaning and contentment… love and happiness… calm and peace… understanding and exploring. In art, I find a hidden value that was dormant within me for years. Whether abstracts or oil painting, spray or sand painting, digital or collages… art brings out my best ideas, sentiment and imagination. Art brings warmth to my walls, adorns my shelves and decorates my bookcases. Art also is my therapy; be it emotional, occupational or spiritual. The process of creating a piece of art courses through my veins as I bring to life a canvas filled with color, pattern and texture with new designs and discoveries.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The biggest challenge I faced in my career was moving from Poland to the United States. Because of my accent, I was immediately perceived as an outsider and possibly someone less capable than those from here. I overcompensated for this by working until I was exhausted each day, believing I had to prove something to others. However, in my exhausted state I finally realized that I had to prove nothing to anyone except myself. I realized that I wanted more out of life than just being an accomplished business person. I wanted to embrace my femininity and be everything a woman can be, not just a worker bee. Once this realization became clear to me, I took time to reprioritize my life and enjoy all that life has to offer… peace, calm, joy and love which led me to creating paintings and to the life I am living now.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
With a few exceptions including my recent Heart Art collection, my paintings are abstracts and they are an expression of my creativity as well as my moods, inspirations, feelings… Art is all about having fun and creating something from nothing and bringing spaces to life by adding color and personality to them.
What inspires me the most is the idea of creating a tangible object that has an ability to transform physical space and impact people. Art is not just paint and canvas. A painting is the ultimate transformation of energy… the energy of the artist to the energy of the collector. When I begin painting, I have a general idea of the concept of colors and design. However, those colors and designs go through multiple iterations of layers on canvas that change and evolve until the work is complete.
I am proud that my art brings happiness, joy, peace, fun and beauty to the world.
What matters most to you? Why?
I am constantly striving to create art that inspires peace, calm, joy, love and harmony. These emotions are a part of us yet often, we get lost in the challenges of the world. However, knowing these challenges are temporary and bad feelings pass, the happiness within us is what matters the most. I hope my art inspires all of us.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.kamilakowalke.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kamilakowalkeart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kamilakowalkeart/
