Bianka Veselovská

You are a self-taught artist. How has this shaped your creative journey and artistic identity?

I’ve always believed that passion for art is enough to find one’s place in the art world and that belief has been my inner motivation to pursue art.

Although I studied Italian language and literature at university, I never lost my passion and continuously worked on my artistic development in my spare time.

In the past, I thought that not studying art formally would put me at a disadvantage – either because I wouldn’t have enough time to dedicate to art or because I lacked an art diploma. But instead, I discovered just how deep my love for art really is, because even during the busiest periods in my life, I found time to paint.

Now, I actually think that I gained an advantage by not studying art professionally – even though I’m quite a perfectionist, I feel free from all the “rules” that professional artists are expected to follow.

Your work often centers on female figures and sisterhood. How did this focus evolve over time?

Yes, my greatest inspiration are women, who are the central figures in my paintings and illustrations.

I’ve always been surrounded by very strong and determined women who shaped my foundation as a girl. However, from a young age, I noticed that these incredible women were raised to see one another as competitors rather than pillars of support. In fact, even today, due to social superstructures, women are led to compete against each other (and against men) – a concept I find unappealing.

As I mentioned earlier, I studied Italian literature and some of the literary themes I focused on included liberation from the gender roles in patriarchal society, women’s identity and female body in literature. Researching these topics deeply inspired me and pushed me to explore my own relationship with other women, with my body and with my identity.

After much reflection on women’s roles in society, I naturally began to intertwine these themes with my art. I’ve created a safe space in my paintings for women’s identity– free from socially constructed roles – with the goal of empowering them. I depict true friendship, liberation and an innate connection between all women. This is how my art became a celebration of sisterhood.

Bianka Veselovska | The Art of not giving a F-ck | 2023

What role does nudity play in your art, especially in terms of representing identity and liberation?

I choose to portray a predominantly nude female bodies as a representation of true female identity that is not veiled by any gender-based role.

In my paintings, the naked body symbolizes being your true self. It represents the most liberated form of identity one can achieve. It’s even more powerful to be naked in the presence of friendship, because it means being true not only to yourself, but also to others.

There is nothing left to hide under the weight of clothes that often aren’t even our own. The roles we play in society – whether as women or as men – are often written by someone else. In my artworks, we are liberated, both internally and externally.

How do you choose the color palette for your works? Is it intuitive, symbolic, or both?

Actually, it’s both. I have my favorite color palettes and pink plays a major role in them. I chose this color because it symbolizes love and affection, and evokes positive feelings in me. The rest of the palette for each artwork is mainly intuitive. For me, the only rule when it comes to selecting colors is to keep things colorful, positive and joyful.

Bianka Veselovska | Sisterhood | 2024

Your compositions feel both intimate and empowering. What emotions do you hope viewers experience when seeing your work?

I really hope that the first emotion is love.

The faces and bodies in my artworks are representations of a positive wave of energy, friendship and freedom. With all my heart, I wish that everyone who sees my work has someone in their life who embodies these emotions – and that they can connect this feeling with my art. If that’s not the case for someone right now, I hope they can imagine a future “pilar”, they can lean on in difficult times.

My art speaks especially to women, as I offer a feminine point of view. It’s for those who may be afraid to show their liberated selves to the world, fearing judgment even from other women. Through my work, I want to empower them and remind them that there’s no shame in being your true self.

Creating this kind of loving and supporting space for women is something I feel is missing today and with my art I would like to help fill that gap, little by little.

How has your move from Slovakia to Italy influenced your perspective or artistic expression?

Back in Slovakia and in Czech Republic, where I lived for several years, I used art as a way to cope and release suppressed emotions. It became my personal form of therapy, like a session with a friend I could turn to whenever I was overwhelmed or needed to clear my thoughts. The art I created during that period carries both a positive and negative “charge”, as it mostly mirrored my actual experiences and emotional state.

When I moved to Naples it marked a major turning point for me. I immediately felt more empowered and free – both as artist and as person. In general, the environment has a huge impact on my creative process and in Naples I’ve found a really energetic, anarchic and inspiring one. At first, I struggled with building friendships and opening up, but I began to imagine the kind of community I wanted, worked toward it and eventually discovered a beautiful art community and met amazing people.

That’s how my perspective shifted – especially in seeing “problems” from the positive perspective. By “problems” I mean lack of true friendships, mutual support between women, positivity and love.

Instead of just pointing out what was missing, I tried to take action by imagining the world I wanted to live in. I still apply this mindset today. By visualizing and depicting loving, supporting and empowering female relationships in my artwork, I focus my energy on building better connections – with myself and others.

Bianka Veselovska | Lean on me | 2024

Could you describe your process when starting a new piece—from concept to completion?

The concept always begins with an emotion I want to translate into a painting or illustration. Sometimes the process – from having an idea to the final piece – takes just one day. Other times, it can take days, months or even years.

I often need the artwork to sit and mature in my mind or in my sketchbook for a while, to build that emotional connection between the piece and myself, and process everything I want to express through it.

Physically, most of the times, I start with a neon pink acrylic underpainting. It instantly kicks the energy of the piece and helps me overcome the intimidation of a blank white surface. I also love when the underpainting peek through in the finished work. From there, I move on to the sketch and the first layers of acrylics. Once I’m satisfied with all the acrylic layers, I add details using colored pencils and wax pastels.