Mar 11, 20213 min read

JANA AND THE UNSPOILT ISLAND

A shy girl with a great passion for art and drawings will soon become a courageous contemporary artist who still gives free rein to her imagination, which takes her to unexplored places.

Being originally from the Faroe Islands, the softness of her work can only evoke those wonderful landscapes like the lines of the waves.

Abstractism, reflection and minimalism make Jana’s work unique and never ending.

Hi Jana, can you tell us how your experience with art began?

My first approach to creativity was at an early age: as an introverted kid, I found my own imagination a very interesting place to get lost in. I would spend hours upon hours in my room drawing and creating worlds filled with characters and imaginary scenarios. Even though my current philosophy, methods and materials are very different from what I played with as a child, I still see them as the stepping stones that have led me to who I am and where I am today.

Nowadays, I still work for hours and let my imagination wander to interesting places, where I leave my mind free to explore and be awed by colours, textures, shapes, expressions, etc.

Is your artistic inspiration related to the territory of the Faroe Islands?

I would say that it is inevitable, to a certain degree, that my art is related to the place where I´m from. It is not something that I consciously try to avoid or include in my art, but it is a natural part of who I am and what I do. The patterns that I create can be compared to the knitting and weaving patterns (commonly known to women and some men) because they are non-figurative.

Are the abstractionism of your work and the use of black and white or gray a way to synthesize the complexity of reality?

Yes, it is a way of simplifying the communication between the work and the viewer. The contrast between black and white heightens what is perceived by the senses. I am currently working on introducing colour into my work as well as on 2D and 3D textures.

Are there different level of readings in your work?

Yes and no. I would say that initially I always start a piece with the bare minimum of reading associated with it, but the more I work on it, the more it builds into something that, at first, I perhaps never intended or sought out for it to be.

Does your creative process follow a fixed pattern or is it driven by inspiration?

My process is a mixture of my academic training, intuition and inspiration. I value all these elements as equally important and necessary for my particular process.

Is there a workpiece that you are particularly attached to?

The newest is always the most fascinating. I get more attached to the pieces that are more complicated and strenuous to create and that take the longest from start to finish. But just because I know how many hours I put into creating a workpiece, it does not necessarily have more value than the rest of my work.

Are there any new techniques you want to try out?

I have been exploring the field of painting and the psychology and meaning of colour, which I am very fascinated with. This has been the artistic path towards which I have been drawing for quite some time now.

What are your other passions?

Food and dogs. I will never say no to a good meal and I will always pet a good boy!