A self-taught artist, Queen Amina creates visceral works that maintain a compositional buoyancy and an innate control of pictorial space. Many of her compositions are in black and white on various surfaces but overall Queen Amaina exhibits an acute mastery of composition and visual rhythm.
To better understand her approach and methodology we interviewed Queen Amina who was gracious enough to share her responses here on this blog.
View the online portfolio of Queen Amina: https://theartistqa.com/
How would you describe your artistic style and approach to abstract painting?
To describe my artistic style and approach to abstract painting, expressionism is the closest to best explain it all. Taking on a more spontaneous approach; allowing freedom, my emotions and movement to flow naturally from hands directly to the canvas.
Can you walk us through your creative process when starting a new abstract painting?
My creative process starts with me staring at the blank canvas as I decide on how I’m feeling, I may even mimic a few strokes to create a sort of unseen imagery in my head. Most pieces begin with a straight line as I build on top of that, in which it may loop upon itself, bend, curve at an angle or remain straight, the varied graduation of strokes that are being made. The more lines I add, the more the image itself begins to come alive, where I then begin to analyze what feels most familiar to me, followed by pointing out what shapes are being created and how I can expand on each that I’m starting to see. Once I come to a point of satisfaction, I then begin to connect all of the intercepts I’ve made between the lines I’ve painted, completely turning the piece into a work that an onlooker can grasp, but will also have to deeply analyze in order to gain a sort of understanding with it.
What role does intuition play in your artistic decision-making process?
Intuition plays an important role in my decision-making process. It allows me to recognize patterns, sync ideas, and furthermore acquire knowledge without the particular use of reason. There are countless times when I have begun a piece, and halfway through I’m not pleased with what’s being made, not necessarily due to the fact that I don’t like it, but more so that my intuition is telling me to take this in another direction, to which I will then start completely over, following the few steps I favored before coming to a halt.
How do you know when a painting is complete? What factors do you consider?
Knowing when a painting is complete, and learning when it’s time to come to a stop is something I’m still teaching myself. There’s countless instances where I’ll keep adding and/or making changes to the point where I completely end up dissatisfied with the piece. However, most recently, I have been using the reflection of the piece to determine if whether or not I should continue or stop. I’ll either use my camera or a mirror, it gives a very different view, the proportions seem to appear slightly different and it’s easier for me to point out changes that can be made or help me understand when it’s good to come to a stopping point.
How do you navigate the fine line between chaos and structure in abstract art?
I believe navigating the line between chaos, and structure in abstract art comes down to how the artist perceives their work. Does it seem as if it’s coming from a overworked or relaxed state of mind? Are you able to clearly interpret the message you are expressing, or is it cloudy for you to comprehend? The structure of abstract art is determined differently from artist to artist, to speak on my work more specifically, work becomes chaotic when I’ve come to a point where I don’t understand what I’m looking at, there is no feeling that comes with the piece and I’m sort of left questioning “where do I go from here?”. As opposed to a more structured piece where my thoughts have been translated in a way that I can understand.
How do you view the role of abstract art in today’s society? What impact do you believe it can have on viewers?
The impact I believe abstract art has on viewers is the ability to make them view things at another angle, in another way. The fascination I have with abstract art, is that each artists express themselves in a way that is different, but rather comfortable with the artists. Less of thought, more of action and emotion.
Are there any notable abstract painters or art movements that have greatly influenced your own work?
The two most notable abstract painters who influenced my work are Jackson Pollock and Wassily Kandinsky. Pollock for his less of thought, rather free-formed way of painting, Kandinsky for his infamous geometric works and establishing relationships between shapes and colors.
How do you stay motivated and continue to explore new ideas within abstract painting?
Staying motivated comes with constantly feeding the mind with inspiration. Inspiration does not have to always come from an outside source, most of the time it’s deep within. I tell myself to always strive for my next piece to be better than my last. Constantly motivating myself in such a way, allows me to try things I’ve never done before as I’m always looking for something new, something that is not familiar to me and has never been seen before in a way that I plan on bringing forth. The main question I ask myself is “What haven’t you done yet”, and that always turns the lightbulb on for me.
Where do you see yourself and your work as an abstract painter in the future? What are your goals and aspirations?
In the future, I will take my work onto larger surfaces, integrating into architecture and clothing. Wall hanging and tall clay sculptures, avant-garde printed garments, rugs, and furniture. The possibilities with my word are endless and I will touch every idea I have throughout this journey.