Biography
Through her provocative artworks, Emma Grzonkowski mixes colour with themes of love, grief and female empowerment. Her emotive art caught the attention of music giants Spotify, with whom she collaborated for 'Who We Be Live' in 2017. During a difficult time in her life, the graphic design graduate used her feelings of loss and heartache as a stimulus to form her artistic style. Describing it is a “form of therapy”, she still uses herself for photographic reference when the piece is deeply personal to her. Illustrating a spectrum of emotions – from light to dark – her paintings are a journey into both Emma’s and our own psyche. First she sketches out the composition with a pencil before deciding on a colour palette determined by the feelings behind the piece. The next step is to layer the canvas with watered-down inks and acrylic paints to create texture. When satisfied, she uses the background to create the world the character embodies. Alternately obliterating and refining the image brings further energy and movement. Emma, who was born in Crewe and now lives in Chester, says: “My art stems from an emotion or energy that I want to convey on the canvas from within. The nucleus of my work revolves around matters of the heart, either from my own personal experiences or from identifying with other people and translating their emotions.” Another must-have when creating art is turning up the music! She explains: "It's very important for me to always have music playing when I create art, as it evokes emotion and intensifies the process. It usually has a similar feel to the piece I'm painting; for instance, if I want to produce a high-energy piece I will play high-tempo music."
My previous work has centred on overcoming trauma, but these female figures exude a sense of happiness and peace.
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