Congratulations to Grace Netanya for earning her place as the 2nd Place Winner in the Boynes Emerging Artist Award 7th Edition!

Who are you?

I am firstly, a storyteller. I've known for as long as I can remember that I've wanted to tell stories through some sort of creative process. What exactly that process, or medium is, has shifted around quite a bit throughout my life. I loved writing when I was young, but as a visual thinker, I found the written word insufficient to translate my ideas. Comic art, or "narrative art" was the first artform that really clicked for me. The visual storytelling techniques I learned from comics are still essential to my body of work. The concept of suggesting a larger story outside the individual image, and using symbolism as a language, were keys to a new form of communication for me.

What inspired you to begin utilizing different mediums in your work?

Chronic boredom. I love a good technical challenge, and I tend to lose interest once something gets easy. I used to simply move from medium to medium, trying out different techniques and styles. Eventually, I became tired of drawing "inside the box" as it were, learning how to use markers and pencils the way they "ought to". I started experimenting with layering materials, inspired by my foray into oil painting. I realized that you could create a depth of shading and color when you layered colored pencil over marker, that surpassed what you could achieve with an individual material. I loved the idea of using the techniques "made' for one material, with a completely different material. I would much rather apply the marker blending techniques I learned from drawing manga to high realism, than stick with the heavily stylized art that is expected with that material. I also love the implications of using illustration materials for figurative realism. Historically, portrait were used to isolate. Portraiture was an artform accessible only to the very wealthy, used as a means to flaunt their wealth. Pencils and markers are mediums associated with commercial art, with images accessible to the "common man". By using these materials, I feel that I am taking this artform and tearing in open, telling stories that draw from high-art but touch the everyday.

Can you discuss your winning work, "Eclipse"?

Eclipse is about justifying harmful actions or values in order to fulfil a "higher" degree of morality.  The insects are intended to incite a feeling of repulsion in the viewer, similar to that experienced by those who have been indoctrinated with malignant shame. The bright colors and textures of the insects are intended to cause the viewer to second-guess whether their initial response is justified. On a closer glance, we see that the insects are beautiful and dreamy. 

The title “Eclipse” refers to the act of obscuring an aspect of yourself, justified by the desire to conform to a higher principle. The composition is intended to remind the viewer of the process of decomposition, a parallel to the loss of self experienced when we sacrifice who we are, for who we are taught we “should be”. 

Can you walk us through the technical steps of creating "Eclipse"?

I started with a graphite pencil base. After I created the widest range of values that I could with graphite, I switched to grey colored pencil, to create deeper values, and sharpen my details. I also used touches of India ink to outline the features of the face, to make them stand out a touch more. The insects were drawn in a traditional comic art technique, with line-art in India ink that is then colored with Copic marker alcohol ink markers. I thought that the splashy, stark colors of ink would make the insects feel more “unreal” as compared to the figure.

Can you discuss your biggest failure since beginning your art career, and how you overcame it?

I honestly don’t feel like I’ve had any “failures”. I learned pretty early-on to think of my art career as a big art project itself, things get messy or go differently then expected, and you just make it look like it’s intentional, and then you move on. I think that so long as you don’t give up, you haven’t failed. I’ve had plenty of situations that were difficult, or goals that I didn’t accomplish in the desired time. But, considering that there is a hundred different ways to have a “successful art career”, I just think of an opportunity not working out as “narrowing down the options”. 

Can you discuss your biggest success since starting your artistic journey?

The first thing that came to mind was my professional accomplishments such as winning The Copic Award, or my recent show "Fables" with NOMA gallery. But thinking about it a bit more, I actually think my greatest accomplishment is a bit more personal. Over the past couple years, I have had multiple opportunities to speak with collectors and viewers irl about my work. I have had several conversations were I heard it expressed that my art has bettered someone's life in some way, either by "offering strength" or making someone feel heard. I am awestruck by the concept that my art can help someone heal, even if in a miniscule way. My art is my most authentic expression of myself. It is beyond touching that other human beings find value in what is essentially, a physical manifestation of my mind.

Can you tell something you wish you had known before or when you began your career that would have really helped?

I wish I had understood that in an Art career, professional accomplishments do not automatically equal a full-time income. You can have a complete portfolio of skillful works, and a long CV, without making any income from your work (and there’s nothing wrong with that, if it’s not what you want). In my case, I knew I wanted to be able to support myself with my art. I wish that I learned earlier on that the key to making sales is personal connection, not accreditations. Making art that is authentic and finding any opportunity to talk about it, is what pays off. If an opportunity doesn’t allow art lovers to connect with the work, and the artist, it won’t result in a sale.

You have won a 1 month residency in Italy, can you talk about your plans for your time at the residency?

I start off the process of creating my work, by creating “digital collages”. I take a bunch of reference images, and then cut and splice them together to create a kind of digital sketch. On this residency, I will be collecting material for new “collages” that will use the physical environment as a storytelling element. As a figurative artist, the compositions of my work have always focused on a human face, often with little detail in the environment. I have recently decided to try branching out, into using environments for the storytelling in my work. I plan to gallivant all over the Italian country-side, taking a wide variety of incredible reference images as I go. My work is deeply informed by history, and many of my works are analyses of historical narratives. RUC is absolutely seeped in history, and I cannot wait to take inspiration. I predict I will be filling my sketchbook with more concepts than I could possibly execute. 

As a previous finalist and now winner, do you have any advice for artists who want to submit to awards, competitions, residencies, etc.?

         I’ve seen quite a bit of dialogue online about art competitions and awards being “scams”. The truth is, while there is certainly the occasional scam, most art competitions can be great, for the right group of artists. The key is to do your research, and know your work well. If you are an abstract oil painter, and you see that a prize has only selected realist drawings the previous years, it’s probably not worth your time, even if they claim that they are interested in “all styles of work”. You should treat artist opportunities the way you would any professional opportunity, weighing the pros and cons. If an award has taken a wide variety of artists for finalists, and only one or two of those works are comparable to yours, but it’s a low submission fee and a decent prize packet, it may be worth it to you. On the other hand, if the submission cost is high, you might skip it. It’s worth taking the time to find opportunities that suit you. For an emerging artist, these opportunities can be invaluable towards making connections, and building up a CV. 

Lastly, I like to ask everyone what advice they would give to their fellow artists, what is your advice?

As it turns out, there is less competition for big goals. Even in academic spaces, artist's are rarely told they can make a living, neither are we taught how to go about that. But the reality is, there is more opportunities than your art teachers say. Too many people don't believe their art holds value, so not many people commit to pursuing this career path. My advice is to treat your art like a business, even if your ultimate goal isn't financial. There are people who will value your work. The trick is to plow through the naysayers until you find those people who need to hear what you have to say.

To view more of Grace Netanya’s work

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