Today we’d like to introduce you to Agnieszka Sowa.
Agnieszka, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My story is designed by fate and begins from my name Aga. It is the short form for Agnieszka. The name is derived from Greek meaning “pure “ – “sacred “ – “chaste” and was born by a 13-year-old Roman, martyred for her Christian beliefs. My life story is centered around purity in my beliefs and inner talents.
I was born and raised in a very small countryside village called Jasienna in the south of Poland, surrounded by mountains. The picturesque views and natural mountainous facade remain a beauty and an equal inspiration up till this day. Just maybe my very artistically inclined family is challenged by our natural habitat to express ourselves in music, dance, theatre, and art.
The stubbornness of my purity in belief always meant I wanted more out from myself. I grew up in very challenging social-cultural times, and it was imperative to give 200% to stand out from the rest. The beauty of my surroundings and the observations increased my sensitivity to colors, forms, patterns, and figures. I was always looking for an extension and a representation of the natural world and turning it into something creatively visual. At a very tender age, I was all about art and creativity. I was fascinated by scissors cutting papers into shapes, pencils, and colors drawing up figures, etc. I could experience freedom in expression, satisfaction in creativity, fulfilments in expression. Etc. I could be me in all my expressions. For example, I could express my happiness in a drawing or design or use of colors…I could equally express my sadness in cutting out figures and dull paintings or scribbles on paper etc. It was and ever since been my outlet and the ideal communication of the inner self and worldly views I grew up with.
I studied Design in High School and designed clothes, outfits, and accessories during my spare time. Once I graduated, curiosity took me on a different path, and I enrolled in a pedagogy course aiming to be a trained therapist. However, during my years at the university, I was always actively involved in all sorts of artistic events mainly poetry and art exhibitions. After my master’s degree, I decided to venture to Italy for a year, and from then I moved to Norway. Scandinavia has inspired and taught me how to appreciate beauty in its simplicity. I fell in love with its simplicity and tranquillity on the Norwegian nature, way of life and how it inspired their homes design, living and work space, clothes, etc. I am a true believer that less is always more and it was all about healthy consumption and protection.
After moving to the USA 5 years ago, I started feeling trapped in a void. I had concentrated on my family, marital and maternal responsibilities for all these years. I began yearning for an expression of my thoughts, my ideals and what I was evolving into. Immediately I started rediscovering my artistic instincts and reflexes. I realized that there are so many emotions and energy in me that I must share with the world and this is how my night painting started … First, I started expressing myself on a piece of paper using my daughters’ crayons. I realized how much energy and emotions are in me. Most of my life has not been a bed of roses. My backpack of life experiences has been overflowing to the point that I have decided to express myself on canvas with colorful acrylic paint.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My Art is my expression of how the inner self communicates with the world and nature. I use my imagination to creatively capture these messages in my emotions. It determines the choice of colors vis a vis the emotions; what I see, how it feels ! Where I go and how it smells and what I hear etc. I try to capture the moments in my paintings.
I also believe my art releases internal and external inhibitions. It captures me, what I love and what makes me happy and fulfilled. My family, my kids are my inspiration; random conversations are my inspiration. The colors I use depending on the mood I am in. Ideas usually grow randomly in my head, and I think about it and then in the evening after putting kids to bed, I transfer them into paint. It takes me a few days to finish it as I always go back to it, during the day and the evening. I go back to communicate and perfect the message and the emotions it sends. I tend to be more critical of my work and can go over the top trying to perfect it.
Some of my works are my own “confession,” nostalgic expression of my childhood memories and beautiful nature that surrounded me whilst growing up. There is nothing more magical than energy and emotions flows during the creative work to perfect a piece. I seek inspiration from nature. Simple or complex daily routines like going for a walk around, listening to music, watching movies, reflections, etc.
I want people to share with me my ideas and visions of things, people, cultures, life, science, religion, etc. I hope to create a takeaway reaction from my audience. This may include the following depending on the piece: Curiosity of wanting to know a bit more or delight/excitement created by choice of colors etc., surprise/shock may be due to the inability to understand or relate, etc.
I most crucial aspect people should know about my work is the fact it paints my scars in life. Art is everywhere, and the most inspiring thing is to see human ingenuity in action – it is all around us. An idea never comes to me suddenly; it sits inside me for a while and then emerges, like a flash of lightning. In the evening when I put my kids to bed, and I have a peaceful moment to myself, I paint. I have been extremely lucky to be surrounded by kind people who believed in me especially when I was losing faith. My husband, my two gorgeous kids, true friends who have always been giving me hope and lifting my spirits with kind words. Each of my paintings contains a part of me, my energy and strength, emotions that were in me at that particular moment. My paintings are conversations between me and the audience.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
Success is a very subject concept; for some artist is to open a gallery, for others to have thousands of followers on the media. For me, success is the happiness I get when the people around me love my artwork and give me strength and support. I will never forget when my 6yrs old daughter came to me with her little wallet saying that she loved so much one of my painting that she wanted to buy it with all the money she had 🙂
Artists face many challenges today. How can you be true to yourself and survive in the commercial market? How can you survive living a decent family life and continue delivering quality work? How can you adapt to a very unpredictable world? In my mind to be a successful artist, in addition to creativity and talent, once need to have strong beliefs, perseverance and not to be scared of proposing his innovative artwork.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
You can follow me on Instagram agnes_art Or Facebook page AgnesR.art.
Contact Info:
- Phone: +1 832 713 9194
- Email: agnes.russo.81@gmail.com
- Instagram: AgnesR_art
- Facebook: AgnesR.art
Image Credit:
AgnesR_art
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