INSPIRATION with Katya Saab

   There is a phrase in Spanish that says: "Tell God your plans so he can laugh out loud", and my interview with artist Katya Saab fits perfectly. I had "met" Katya before through her paintings, while I meticulously (not to say obsessively) observed every detail; first at an art show, and then on social media. Always daydreaming on how to get one of her paintings hanged on my living room wall.

    Those bright color hues, bold textures... Nothing made sense, and yet, it all seemed to have a purpose. She was not following either rules, pattern, nor alignment. She was setting her own. Free to create. Yet I could read between the lines she was onto something special. So I chose INSPIRATION. I felt so inspired with her art and very intrigued to meet her.

    We met at her studio on a Sunday evening; Personally I didn't expect such warmth. The second we met, we hit it right off. She's a sweet soul and we should all stand close and wait, because she's coming strong. I can feel it.

    Katya is originally from Ciudad Valle, San Luis Potosi (Mexico), she settled in San Diego, CA eight years ago, and now creates at her art studio in Little Italy.

Viviana: Wow, they look amazing in person! (her paintings), thank you for opening up your studio for me! Are you self-taught?

Katya: Yes. I've painted since I was a little girl. I didn't study art, I've always been very creative and like to experiment a lot, so the process felt natural for me.

V: What's your INSPIRATION when you paint?

K: Well, in fact I don't believe in inspiration (This is the part were I freaked out mentally and she blew my cover), until now I don't paint based on it, I paint because this is my passion and also my job, to create; People tend to idealize art as a hobby, I do it because everything in my life guided me in this direction and consciously I've chosen. This is what I'm here for, it's how I communicate. It's not only to paint, you have to do PR stuff, I also write a lot.

V: Is writing part of your creative process?

K: I'm currently writing a book, and also because every art series has it's story and background, so I follow the concept.

V: Do you follow structure?

K: Never. I try to do every series differently, so they distinguish from each other. I don't do prints, nor duplicates. Each one is unique. At the moment I'm exploring a Minimalism Monochromatic concept. I feel creativity invites growth, so I instead follow my intuition.

V: So what would be your starting point, when you're in front of a blank canvas? What propels you?

K: Nothinggg. The only few times I've planned, it ends up being completely different. So I just follow the flow and drop any expectations.

V: What's in it for you? Mental or emotional?

K: 100% emotional. Art for me is a form of meditation. It's when I'm in my contemplative state. I don't skip painting because I'm feeling down or confused, I express them through color and shades instead.

V: How do you promote your art?

K: I do it myself through exhibitions, social media. I try to keep the flow organic, since it's art, I want my either 8 or 80 followers to be there because of connection or relativity, not bought or fought for. I do acknowledge the internet is a way to get myself and my art known, but keeping it authentic is eloquent for me. I don't paint to fill out space, I paint to represent.

V: Let's talk about your most recent art series Together 2020...

K: This series talks about how to rephrase our narratives, and go through this phase not as self, but as a whole. These moments invite me to be more empathetic with each other. This is not the time to compete or to be egocentric, but the contrary. To support each other.

This is where I omit the part of our conversation where we connected through family, life and love... Just found a new friend in this noble human.

Thank you Katya, you were such a lovely surprise!

You can find her art at:

www.katyasaab.com