A Rebelle Featured Artist, talented Polish illustrator, and full-time physics researcher, Iwona Gradzka-Kurzaj known as Kuzayova has been kind enough to open the door to her stories and illustrations. Read about handling art projects with a full-time job, the effect her culture has on her art, and how was her transition from traditional painting to digital.
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Iwona Gradzka-Kurzaj (Kuzayova) has a Ph.D. in physics, working as a research and development engineer. Her passion for digital painting evolved from the traditional approach. She used to paint with oils and acrylics under the watchful eyes of professional artists in cultural centers. When she was a student she organized her first individual exhibition in her hometown, Zduńska Wola (Poland). Inspired by folk art, she is able to decorate with paint miscellaneous wooden items. She is currently chasing her dream, writing and illustrating a unique book with poems for children.
You have a PhD. in physics and work as a research and development engineer, even though you started with painting quite early on. Is there a reason why physics won over art in your studies?
The price of perfection is high. I used to be an ideal student, was the best one in my class with the best grades in every subject. That was a curse. When I was about to graduate from high school I was in two minds about which path to choose. Finally, I thought that would be a pity to be focused only on art, cause I have also a natural talent to learn about the world and explore it. Equations and theories have never scared me. Challenges are attractive to me so I picked up a subject that seemed difficult. Sounds funny.
Does painting play a big part in your daily life? How do you balance the time between your regular job and the art projects you are working on?
Painting can be a boost for my self-esteem and an emotional release. I'm kind of a sensitive, neurotic person. Surrounding myself with art makes me feel comfortable. That's why I’ve painted many items in my house. The first half of my day is filled with my full-time job, so only the second half can be committed to art creating. However, I am trying to save time as much as I can. Fortunately, the internet can be used today for as many errands as possible. My rule is: don’t think about the job after hours. Maybe I am not a perfect researcher and don’t spend enough time searching the resources, but I am not chasing perfectionism.
I don’t feel I must give 100% in everything, not even in art. Maybe I could work on more projects, but I decided to focus on a few, selected ones, which are the most important to me. I am no longer a workaholic as I used to be.
Your artistic journey started with traditional mediums, such oils and acrylics. However, seeing your Rebelle paintings, there are quite a lot of watercolors. Do you have a favorite medium to paint with now?
Totally! Digital watercolors provided by Rebelle are my love. But funny enough, I have never used to paint with real watercolors. They’ve always seemed uncontrollable to me. Now I find their digital version very attractive. The wide set of properties is something to be explored and adored. Not sure if I use them as experienced watercolor artists may do. I hope this makes my paintings unique though. Another medium that I use frequently are pencils.
How would you describe the transition from traditional to digital painting? What advantages did it bring? Are there any traditional elements you miss while painting digitally?
My first impression, when I grabbed a digital pencil and a tablet, was: 'Oh no, I will never get used to painting while not watching the movement of my hand. It’s bizarre.' However, it’s like learning how to ride a bike - you need to develop confidence. It turned out that this way of creating has brought a lot of convenience to my life. When it comes to digital painting, you don't have to worry about the proper ventilation of the room and the mess related to using real paints.
The elements I miss sometimes are the smell of paper, oils, and turpentine (the last is not so healthy, I guess). Using traditional media brings some kind of ritual to your life. If you are about to paint with oils or acrylics, you prepare your canvas, prime it, and use the varnish at the final stage. This costs your time but also makes the painting very valuable in your eyes.
Your illustrations are unique, as they often contain Polish folk elements and customs. Where do you find inspiration for your paintings? Whether it’s children or adults, what message are you trying to communicate to your audience?
Some folk elements may come from my childhood memories. I was surrounded by doilies and embroidered pillows created by my mother and grandmother, who loved to decorate their space.
I also find animated movies from Pixar, DreamWorks, Ghibli, and other studios very inspiring as these are packed with unique color palettes, beautiful light, and originally stylized characters. I am not ashamed that I am too old (in someone’s opinion) to watch them.
Today I feel like I am a creator of unique, colorful worlds, I can invite other people to spend time in them and feel de-stressed and comfortable. This is mine, but also your space if you want to spend some time with my paintings.
We heard you are currently working on a very exciting project, fulfilling one of your dreams - writing and illustrating a book of poems for children. Can you tell us some details about the book?
When I was in high school, my Polish language teacher discovered that I have a natural talent to write poems. Thanks to her support I won many contests then. I stopped writing after I started studying physics. That was too much. However, some time ago I thought that I can give it a try again.
Many original ideas are coming to my head, cause I am an overthinker. I’ve come up with a story related to a known physical phenomenon. Characters from my book try to describe, visualize and discover it again. I cannot tell anything more about the story details, cause it’s still a secret. The goal is to encourage children to explore the world and to choose a science education. I especially care about young girls, cause there were few supportive messages for younger me. I heard: 'physics is not for girls!'
I hope I will finish the writing in a month, and then I will prepare adequate illustrations. I’ve already had some, but I still need to prepare more. The text is quite voluminous. There are above 80 rhymed stanzas, each consisting of 4 verses. They are rhymed (in Polish) and the number of syllables has been carefully chosen. My wish is to have it published this year in the form I propose - with the author’s original illustrations.
That is wonderful, we hope everything will go as you planned and children will be inspired by your book. One last question, if we may. Do you have any favorite Polish or international artists that you admire? Can you recommend someone we should learn more about?
The art of Loish is awe-inspiring. Probably most digital artists know her. I have a special space for her artbook on my bookshelf, I enjoy browsing and exploring it again and again. When it comes to Polish artists, one of my favorites is Leszek Kostuj. He creates fantastic, surrealistic paintings, which picture original characters, not from this world. I find peace in my mind while looking at his works.
Thank you, Iwona, for taking the time to answer our questions and letting other artists get to know you and your work more. We wish you the best of luck with your upcoming book and other projects that you are working on.
Escape Motions Team
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Profile Photo Credit: Aleksandra Durdyn
Learn More about Kuzayova (Iwona Gradzka-Kurzaj)
Featured Artist Portfolio:
https://www.escapemotions.com/featured-artists/kuzayova
Social Media:
https://www.instagram.com/kuzayova/
https://www.deviantart.com/afflation
https://www.artstation.com/kuzayova
Rebelle 5 Painting Tutorials:
https://www.escapemotions.com/blog/brush-comparison-in-rebelle-5-tips-by-kuzayova
https://youtu.be/zkAKl4maOd4
https://youtu.be/o7LncTn7r3Q