Today we’d like to introduce you to Juliana Kokolari.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
This question is especially interesting since my last show was titled “How Did I Get Here?” and the best answer is I still don’t quite know. If I had to boil it down, I’d say it was a combination of luck and stubborn determination to make it work and being lucky enough to come across amazing people along the way in my life who have believed in me and supported my endeavors. I’ve always had a love of the Arts from a very young age and there was something there I’ve never been able to shake. I went to school for Fine Arts and ended up moving to Cleveland, Ohio, which changed the game for me. The community is so supportive and focused on local creators that it really gave me the platform to push and grow with my work.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I most definitely would not describe the road as smooth. It’s been about as bumpy as it can get, with a lot of rough periods but so many high points as well. The fine arts are a difficult road for anyone; creating something and pouring all of your emotion and time into it with the hopes that the viewer will want to engage with it and find some connection with it is a daunting idea. It comes with a lot of rejection, and there’s no road map to success but when you do manage to hit that sweet spot, there is nothing better than seeing someone fall in love with a painting you created or people you have never spoken to coming out to a show because something you created with your own hands called out to them in some way. It’s easy to feel like you want to give up and maybe even make yourself believe you should, but in my experience, that feeling has always come right before a major break that makes you feel crazy for ever considering it in the first place.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work is primarily acrylic and mixed-media paintings. I specialize in not only women-centric portraiture but from the female gaze as well. My depictions of women and their subtleties in daily life are what I’m best known for, as far as subject matter is concerned. I think in terms of personal style, I’m known for my highly textured negative space in the hair of my subjects as well as the 3-D components I often include, like hand-knit sweaters I sew into my paintings or hand embroidery details I add to some pieces. I think my process sets me apart as well; I document as much as I can via my Instagram for people to follow along with. That being said, when I’m on a roll, and I need to get something done, I will find any way to make it work so I can see the outcome as soon as possible. It’s very much a compulsion of sorts, which results in some funny videos – like when I needed to get a sweater sewn into a painting and I couldn’t find a hammer that would work with my embroidery needle and spare my hands, my favorite red heels did the job very nicely! I think it is fair and fun to show the way things can get done and that creating fine art isn’t always reliant on having the exact supplies you need or want at all times. You can almost always make do; it’s not all perfect studios and beautiful setups. Creation is messy and sometimes frantic, but it can also be fun if you can avoid taking yourself too seriously. My proudest achievement is simply that I’m still at it. It’s so easy to talk yourself out of pursuing something so volatile, but when it works, it’s the most rewarding feeling I’ve ever experienced.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My best advice would be to talk about what you do and keep doing it. Talking about your work has been, for me, one of the hardest things about gaining traction as an artist. It can feel awkward and puffed up – people will inevitably want to see what you make, which leaves you wide open for criticism. But the upside is that you never know who could be the right person for an idea, sale, connection, or even a potential show! It took me years and many missed opportunities to learn that lesson. I’d also say just keep going. Every work is a practice of sorts, and every time you learn something, it sounds so simple, but consistently working, you’ll continue to grow, and when your opportunities present themselves, your work will be that much better for it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.julianakokolari.com
- Instagram: faux_fauna
