Art Convo with Cristina Loukopoulos: Painting an Emotional Time Capsule
The artist in front of her work Provider (2020), at a group show organized by GBA. Courtesy of @choladoz.
A sweet chat with Cristina Loukopoulos (she/her), an exciting Gen Z artist of Colombian & Greek descent based in Queens, NYC, who paints dreamy surrealscapes of Brown Latinx femme figures.
What are simple things that made you smile this month?
Spending quality time with friends, family, my dog, and the little knick knacks I’ve been collecting this past month.
Can you describe an ideal day in your studio? What needs to align for you -- spiritually, mentally, and physically -- for a productive day?
I usually don’t have a set way or plan as to how or when I want to paint. I usually let myself paint when I feel most called to. I see painting as a way to let go of any energy that is no longer serving me. It's a super therapeutic process for me and I try to let it come in as naturally as possible.
Savior Complex, acrylic on canvas, 2022. Courtesy of the artist.
Brown womxn, femininity, nature, and surrealist worlds are big elements in your paintings. You also showcase your subjects in a range of emotions, from grief to ecstasy. This is very captivating, can you explain what these concepts mean?
I’ve always used art as a way to reflect, heal from difficult situations, come to terms with my identity, expand on my complicated relationship with "femininity" as a queer woman, and also as a way to physically represent emotions from a certain time or place. Kind of like an emotional time capsule if that makes sense. A lot of the colors and motifs I use in my work are inspired by the traditional Colombian artwork I grew up seeing or being exposed to. I also take a lot of inspiration from Ana Mendieta's Silueta series, her strong relationship with texture and mixed media has always inspired me to push myself to be more experimental with my own work.
Can you talk about your love for textile design? What creativity and freedom do you find in it that's different from painting?
I’ve always been very much into maximalism and repetitive/pattern-like work. I see it as another way for me to experiment with artwork on something more tactile, usable and accessible in everyday life.
“I’ve always used art as a way to reflect, heal from difficult situations, come to terms with my identity, expand on my complicated relationship with ‘femininity’ as a queer woman, and also as a way to physically represent emotions from a certain time or place.”
Detail of Savior Complex, acrylic on canvas, 2022. Courtesy of the artist.
Detail of Savior Complex, acrylic on canvas, 2022. Courtesy of the artist.
What's next for the rest of 2022 and into 2023? Anything you can share?
I hope to be a part of more group shows, have more opportunities like this to speak on my work and just overall create and challenge myself to be more experimental with my style!
