Irina Kulenko is a talented artist whose works mesmerize and inspire viewers around the world. Her paintings are filled with energy, emotions and deep meaning, which makes them unique and memorable. Irina began her artistic journey with watercolor, which became a source of meditation and experimentation for her. Over time, her style evolved and she began to use more abstract and intuitive approaches, creating works that reflect her inner world and experiences.
Irina, how did you come up with the idea of creating “energy paintings” and what does female energy in art mean to you?
The idea of creating energy paintings did not come by itself. At one exhibition, a man bought three paintings from me. Two years later, he called me and thankfully said that these paintings were still giving him energy. Since then I call my paintings energy paintings because I often hear that they give people positive energy. The feminine energy in my works manifests itself in tender, bright, sometimes contradictory, but always true feelings. It is not only softness and fluidity, but also strength of spirit, wisdom and insight. She reminds us that it is important to be real, follow your heart and give light to the world. In her feelings lies the marvelous harmony of being both strong and fragile, open and mysterious. This power can change the world, filling it with love, kindness and beauty.
What painting techniques do you consider your favorite and why did watercolor become your passion?
In the beginning of my journey, watercolor was my passion because it is unique. The technique is meditative. It's very satisfying to watch the colors flow, to see how they blend. So it was an experimental and meditative technique for me. Now I like to work with structures. I like to work with mastichin and create paintings that are more three-dimensional and interesting. So everything in this life changes, and as it evolves, new passions and new favorites emerge.
What changes in your approach to art have occurred over time, and how have they influenced your work?
Over time I am moving away from classical realistic painting, trying to work more abstractly, more intuitively. Very often now, especially a new series of paintings, I create by painting blindly and working with a mastichin with my left hand, to really feel my inner child and what he wants to say to the world.
In the Talent Confederation questionnaire, you indicated that you also teach. How do you find a balance between teaching and your own creativity, and how do these two areas influence each other?
I'm trying to carve out every minute I can between teaching to write on my own. I've freed up two days a week to actually do creative work, painting. So I manage to combine two activities.
Do your students influence your writing, and what lessons do you learn from teaching?
My students teach me to be open-minded. They teach me to look at the world through children's eyes. I notice what I can give them and I see gratitude in their eyes. This motivates me to keep going, to keep going, and makes me realize that I am doing the right thing, that it is my mission to give people positive energy through creativity.
What emotions do you feel when you see the audience's reaction to your paintings, and how does that affect your art?
I am very pleased when people in my paintings feel exactly what I want to convey, or analyze their feelings and emotions. That's the most important thing - that they really think about what is important in this life. To think about what they like, what gives them good positive energy. And I'm very pleased that they feel it or that it resonates with them. My paintings respond to them with the energy that they want to feel.
Having studied your Instagram page, we noticed that you actively participate in competitions and exhibitions. How has participation in these projects influenced your development as an artist and your perception of your own creativity?
A large chunk of my time was spent only at school and was appreciated mainly as a teacher. But it is also very important for me to feel like an artist, and so exhibitions and competitions make me realize that my work matters too. It gives me a sense of pride, awareness and recognition. That's very important to me.
How do you approach creating a series of works, and what inspires you to choose a particular theme for a series?
I approach the creation of a series of works in different ways: sometimes it is a matter of chance, spontaneous decisions, and sometimes it is an internal dialog with myself or impressions of the world around me. I am inspired by what happens inside me, sometimes by the work of my students, sometimes by nature and music. There are so many aspects that influence my creativity.
How do you choose the works for your exhibitions and what aspects do you consider important when organizing them?
I often exhibit works thematically depending on what is going on in me at the moment and what kind of dialog I want to provoke the public into. If it is an exhibition in galleries, I ask the organizers what they would like to show from my paintings. Everything has to be thought out in the organization of an exhibition. The main thing is what kind of dialog I want to invite the public to, what theme I want to touch on, what the idea and purpose of the exhibition is.
How do you use feedback from viewers or buyers of paintings and does the feedback make a difference in your creative process?
Of course, the opinion of the buyers or the opinion of the public influences my future artistic endeavors. In some aspects I call the paintings the ideas of the audience. This is how the series of paintings with energy and different lighting solutions started, because the viewers told me that my paintings emit light and energy. Most importantly, the feedback from clients tells me if I am on the right track.
Do you ever experience creative stagnation? How do you deal with it and what helps you get back to work with new ideas?
I can't say that I have creative stagnation, it's more like a pause to gather new ideas and new motives. In such situations I take a lot of pictures and think about life, study other artists' paintings, so it's not really a crisis - it's more like gathering energy again to create a new series of paintings.
How do you work to popularize your art and what strategies do you find most effective? What platforms or promotional methods do you use to draw attention to your work?
Popularizing my work is a difficult task. For a long time I was only involved in art school and did not promote myself as an artist at all. Now I am at a stage in my life where I want to be recognized and wanted to be seen, so I am trying again to find places to exhibit. Of course I have a page on the internet and I try to be active on Instagram, but I still think it's important for the paintings and for the artist to have live interaction with the public. The Golden Time Talent competition was also a chance to show my creativity and to try my hand at international level.
What do you think is important for an artist to make their work recognizable and sought after?
It is very difficult to say what is important for an artist to be recognizable and in demand. Probably not to lose oneself and to try, experiment, not to be afraid of something new, but at the same time to remain oneself and listen to oneself, one's intuition and not to try to adjust.
