Interview with Anna Weichselbaumer

You studied at the Art University of Linz in Austria from 2002 to 2008. How did your education there shape your approach to art?

I had the opportunity to see a lot there and to almost concentrate on creativity and art. Also with books and films and everything that goes with it.

In your statement it is mentioned that you like to paint people and abstract pictures. What attracts you to these topics and how do they help you to convey your artistic message?

Yes, that’s true, for me it is a very large, extensive topic. I would like to bring out the people in certain spaces, it makes me happy when the person, situations, the space in which the person is located triggers something in others. Maybe creates connections. But everyone can also have their own connection to the picture.

Can you describe your process of creating abstract paintings? What techniques and materials do you prefer to use?

My approach is very simple, sometimes I make a quick sketch of something that I have in mind or have seen and want to express something that I associate with it. I prefer to paint with oil, chalk or acrylic. But sometimes I just start painting and see what happens, how colors relate to each other.

You see painting as a means of communication. How do you manage to convey your personal vision and enable viewers to interpret your work in their own way?

That is often the difficult thing, you have a precise idea yourself and want to convey something that is roughly connected to the picture. But someone else will always have their own connection to it, or recognize it in it. And yet one possibility is to communicate something to others and for others to try to understand it. And maybe it is precisely about trying to understand.

Your work has been shown in numerous exhibitions and galleries, including the Boomer Gallery in London and the Power Barbagelata Freedom Exhibition. Which fair stands out most in your memory and why?

It’s difficult to say, they all have something in their own way. I also remember the publication at ChromArt Creative Art from the beginning,-or participation in the Lacuna Festival to name a few

What were some of the biggest challenges you had to face as an artist over the course of your career and how did you overcome them?

There are a few, especially years after graduating, it’s not easy. And even numerous publications and exhibitions don’t mean that you can make a living from art. That’s often discouraging and one of the biggest challenges to keep going. It’s something that constantly bothers you. It’s the same for me, you often do a few side jobs and that’s often very exhausting. But you’re all the happier when some paintings do get some attention and find their place.

What new themes or techniques would you like to explore in your future work?

I’ve decided to start drawing more again.

What are your long-term goals as an artist and how do you envision your career in the next few years?

Lots of new ideas.

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