In the eyes: Lioda Conrad Art

We speak about art, life and dreams with artist Lioda Conrad.

You recently moved from Cape Town to France , how has the experience been?

It has been filled with excitement, hardships, fear, stress, wonder, newness, and adaptation. It was the best thing we could have done. To have courage to change everything you know, to leave everything familiar to your oldest memories behind is harder than expected. One thinks of fresh baguettes, croissants and the Tour d'Eiffel, fashion, art and Michelin star food when thinking of France, but it's a lot more than that. We preferred to live in the countryside as opposed to the cities. I find that I have to remind myself : "holy fudge- we live in France now!" And after 6 months, we are now only finding a bit of comfort in settling.

Your art mainly focuses on eyes, can you tell us more about this?

I would like to believe that my work is largely based on the emotional value we hold as a species. And emotions are read more finely in the eyes. The whole window to the soul thing. But it is a general opinion that eyes are "my thing". There is a lot of beauty in our iniquities. But I am firstly a multi- style artist and am currently on a path of exploration into more mediums and methods. This brings me to a point of the current state of art as a whole. It is due to social media that so much of the perceptions about art seems to have changed. Artists used to be the rockstars of the earlier centuries, as were the musicians. And to see their work, mostly required it to be seen in person. That in turn gave a closer appreciation of the work itself. A more immersive experience than we generally have these days. One only needs to open any social media platforms, to be flooded with images of art and artists. And these days a banana with instructions and tape garners more interest and money than an honest painting or sculpture made by an artist working at their craft for years. That being said, it is also a way to be seen, to reach clients easily and to interact with other artists. I just ask myself if it's more about acceptance and admirationas it has the potential of changing what one does too easily. Not enough likes? Well, then do something else so that others will like it and you feel a possibly false sense of value. I find that when I become more silent, and view less of what is out there, my more authentic work comes out.

What medium do you prefer to work in?

I truly love so many different mediums for different reasons. And that is my personal struggle within myself and the perception out there - that one must have a singular style, recognizable at a glance. But how do you spend your life just eating steak everyday? As great as it is, it would become a task at some stage instead of a passion. Pencil sketches are quiet, controlled and the result is one of technique crossed with subject matter to create monotoned works which can be very impressive. Yet it is often frowned upon as it is executed mostly on paper and it is seen as the poorer of the arts. Yet I fully disagree. Works on paper have as much value as it has a delicacy and fragility that is often overlooked. This I find the easiest of any of the mediums I work in. Oil is traditional and long during and costly to produce, and has the impression of being the most valuable and it has the ability to slow down the process and force one to take time with the creation of a piece. I also work with Fumage and paint and it is the most interesting medium for me. It brings for me a speed of working that belies the results. It is a very interesting medium and the one hardest to control and changes everything within the norm of the conformist type of work. A candle flame (fumage) can only burn upwards, and thus creation of such works are made upside down and thus at a shortened view for the artist. The impurities in the air that is burned is where the magic lies and the resulting soot particles fall on the paper, enormously fragile as a singular touch can destroy the image. I use fumage as a starting point and create portraits of people who don't exist as it is borne solely from imagination or energies gathered as I work. These form soft, strange, unusual or even grotesque faces and I fall in love with each and everyone of them. This is my favourite type of work as it allows for the most speed in a creative process with no control over the flame, but for the movement of my hands and body that allows a portrait and its features to appear. It also contains the most acute confrontational work and has the ability to be reflective of the viewer and about the state of their emotional journey. It is also very polar as it is either immediately felt, understood and loved or rejected outright as it feels too confrontation to the viewer and they are not able to face a reflection of their deepest feelings. I hope to always be allowed to explore this even if it does not result in a singular sale, it is me honest to the bone in my artist's soul. The series "LesYeux"- The Eyes, featured in this article are in pencil and on acid-free paper, is about how little an identification is needed to express the image of someone. Is line as important to recognition as light and dark is. My aim is to create beautiful monochromatic portraits with a modern twist. My abstract works have been featured in a few publications and are my most emotional type of work as all abstract works are. I woke up one day with the question "What does my work sound like?" and I am formulating a workable answer to that question.

Do you do commissions or do you do faces which intrigues you?

Both. I work every day if at all possible. I love getting a commission! They are greatly desired by all. And presents a challenge to get it just right. Bring it on! I will even stop someone on the street and ask to take their picture because their features intrigue me, yes. And as mentioned, create portraiture to depict emotions, with or without reference materials.

How long have you been an artist?

I won my first art competition at the age of 3, at the Rand Easter show. I guess it was a sign of things to come. I turned full-time artist only relatively recently, 5 years ago. I work enormously hard and have managed to achieve some credibility and aplume.

Tell us about about your favourite things:

Movies?

Oh easily: "Kinky boots" True Story, loads of fun and human interest.

Music?

Top 4 artists for me are: Tom Waits- the best creative music, Curtis Stigers- an understanding of love, Justin Hines- beauty of thought even under extreme disability, and some of Beth Hearts love songs. And then the oldies of the 80's. Karaoke here I come!

Restaurants?

What restaurants? I married a chef! His passion is almost surpassing mine. Two creatives in a household? Let me tell you some days are very interesting and filled with very deep and passionate conversations. He has managed a position here in France as an executive chef in a provincial restaurant.. Can anyone say Michelin stars? He hopes to have his own place someday and wants to put my work up on it's walls. He also has an idea to do a tour of France's country restaurants and who's behind it all.

City?

I believe that a park bench can be the most beautiful place on earth if you are sitting next to whom you love and can hold their hand. Paris, New York and Cape Town are gorgeous, historically rich, culturally significant and architecturally creative. But there are many places I would still like to go and see.

Artist?

As a youngster, Judith Mason took my breath away with her more abstract works. The old masters remain to keep my admiration of their works. Today, there are so many that I could sit and write an endless list of whom and why I love the work. Give me impact, sleek sophistication with hints of irreverent use of paint to suggest form and I'm hooked!

Museums?

For impact and cultural value, Guggenheim, Louvre and Moma. But allow me to view a private collection on random walls in a house, and I will delight as much in the unexpected treasures to be seen.

Book?

Katherine Neville : The Eight.

What do you dream about?

I am a vivid and lucid dreamer and can direct some of my dreams and even go back to a good one after waking up briefly. Lately, it's been of some of my late family members, especially my mom, who had a traumatic upbringing and could not show much affection for her strange and "different thinking" daughter. I do dream in colour and yes, I do fly too!

Do you think there is life after death?

have no doubt. And hoping to not be judged, but have had experiences that confirmed it for me. There are worlds beyond the physical one we live in filled with energy and presence of those past. My maternal gran was born with a "second sight" and it fell onto me too. A week after her passing, she came to me at night, stood at the edge of the bed and said in her no-nonsense tone "I'm ok", stood for a minute and left. Interestingly, 2 days before her passing, she spoke clearly to her brothers who had passed on many years before. When we asked if she knew she was talking to dead people (yep, just like in that movie), she said "yes, it's my brothers coming to fetch me". I believe it's quite a common thing. So think me crazy, but to me there is more there than just us now.

What keeps you awake at night?

Any argument I've had with anyone. I choose to live a do no harm life, so it feels like a personal failure. Love, excitement of new challenges and to do lists. Those ones you make mentally ill instead of committing to pen and paper. . I love a good opportunity and believe in mutually advantageous agreements. But a loaf of bread costs money if you want to eat. And my all time pet peeve, is the copious emails received about the latest sell your art online platform galleries or payment required to enter your work for "evaluation" to be selected for some unknown show or competition. Sigh... it's a just-draw-me-a-pretty-little-picture-quickly mentality sometimes. Or a let's make money off artists quickly.

What is your ambition?

Sadly, covid put an end to my largest one; a tv series about artists and their studio practices. I would still like to achieve my artist residency "The Lioda Initiative", but for that I need grants and sponsorships, which was also limited by the virus event. Hopefully, it could change. And most pressingly, representation here in France. In the USA with Colour me Africa Fine Arts, South Africa with Gallery One 11 and now need French representation as it's my new current home. And to make works that are important and matter somehow.

I also want to create/collaborate on using my artwork in a designer wearable art range. Not a lot to ask for, right?

To contact: liodac@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/liodaconradfineart

@liodaconrad on IG

She takes commissions by interpreting a face in this style, she only needs a head a shoulders shot, something clear. But also have works available to purchase directly.