About the Artist:
Aelita Andre is a seventeen-year-old abstract artist, who began her professional career at age 2 and has exhibited her vivid work worldwide in over 30 individual solo shows. Aelita has an interest in philosophy and theoretical physics, incorporating these themes into her conceptual artworks often representative of nature, the mind’s landscape, and various abstract ideas shown through movement and expressive colors.
Describe a typical working day:
I wake up and often make tea, then go to my living room and look through emails and messages, creating a general to-do list for the day. Usually, I go on a walk for an hour or so afterward, then work on digital art on my iPad or write stories. After that, I tend to further answer and manage correspondences for any upcoming exhibitions or events, often involving working on art, images, or the discussion of general planning and organization.
Do you have a favorite space for creating your artwork?
My favorite space to create my abstract artworks is a room that looks into my backyard with a cherry tree at the window, reflecting light into the studio. I have always created art in this room and call it my painting area. I love walking in and finding different objects with layers of memory and thought, which inspire me to create!
How does an ideal day of creating look like?
Normally I wake up at eight, and an hour later I walk into my studio to start painting, often taking in the dappled light on my ceiling before I do so. I set a canvas down, opening the paint cans, and having tea or music playing by my side. I find and choose different objects throughout my studio to set onto my artwork, coming together to form different meanings.
When I paint I feel that either anger or happiness or both come together in a vibrant dance of reality onto the canvas. A painting session usually takes 2-3 hours, and I can work on a painting often for days to weeks, changing small details or experimenting with different approaches. Sometimes, though, I will paint in the evening with the memory of a film I have just watched, still in my mind as a fiery inspiration to create, which can often keep me up painting long into the night.
Describe your style of art in a sentence:
Vivid, conceptual abstract expressionism.
Who and what inspired you to be an artist?
I’ve always felt drawn to art as a form of expression – to me it feels like one’s own language is inseparable from them even before it is realized or found. I would say, though, that cinema and philosophy truly brought to light the beauty and intricacy of creative expression which further motivated me to pursue a career in art.
Name three inspirations for your work right now
Currently, I am deeply inspired by my favorite films, music, and the wilderness.
Is there a particular color palette that you prefer to work with, and what inspires your choice?
I love using bright and expressive colors such as white, blue, red, and yellow for my artwork as they are often representative of emotion, ideas, and intuition.
Tell an interesting story behind a piece you’ve created…
For my artwork ‘ String City’, I remember the excitement after hearing about String Theory in a documentary, which states that the universe is made up of interconnected, inter-dimensional strings, explaining phenomenons like quantum entanglement.
I envisioned them as atomic white beings which are always present but never seen for they are the essence of reality, and my work was designed to be a world where they came together and lived almost as creatures of the universe – this was my first ever work inspired by this theory.
… and one interesting piece you own. Why did you buy it?
I own a small artwork by an indigenous Australian artist which I bought when I went to Uluru – I remember loving the appreciation of ancientness in their culture, and being enchanted by ancient cave paintings as well as marks on old instruments that have been passed down over generations, and adoring the beauty and timelessness of often associated Dreamtime stories. To me, this work truly evoked that beauty.
We imagine that inspiration could strike anytime. How do you separate work from free time?
Normally, I have a do-list for each day, and I promise myself to eventually do everything I need to on that day, which sometimes results in my staying up until 3:00 am to finish. Usually, I try to do it sometime during the daytime, and then I get back to drawing or painting.
What reforms would you like to see in the art world?
I would like to see the recognition of different art fields in light of the predominance painting holds in the art world. By no means is painting undeserved, although I feel, other mediums are undeservedly often unrecognized.
And how do you think we could change it together?
The world’s entirety is a product of change, so people should not be afraid to keep its progression in the direction of change that they wish to see. We should be vocal about the importance of art as a form of beauty in creation for the purpose of expression rather than viewing its beauty in association with one medium (as it can often be).
Conclusion
In the vast landscape of artistic expression, Aelita Andre’s journey is a vibrant testament to the boundless potential of creativity. From 9 months to today, Aelita’s work encourages us to look beyond traditional forms, recognizing art’s role as a universal language. As she continues to inspire and challenge perceptions, her vision underscores the transformative power of creativity. Aelita’s story serves as a reminder that art is both a reflection and a catalyst of change, pushing us to embrace new perspectives and celebrate the endless beauty of expression in all its forms.
