Artist
From Germany
Based in Germany
Janka creates minimalistic portraits which emphasise facial lines, standing out from the neutral-colored palettes. Her artist moniker, Bareminart, comes from Norwegian and means "Only my art"
A: Please, tell us a bit more about yourself. What brought you into art?
J: I’m from Germany and I’m a self-taught artist. My grandfather used to draw with me when I was a child but I never went to art school or took courses. Later I fell in love with photography and I learned a lot about image composition. A few years ago I started practicing digital drawing. I like minimalism and I try to use as few details as possible in my portraits while still giving the portraits expression.
A: What inspires you the most?
J: Difficult question... I’ve never thought about it. I have a friend who inspires me a lot and with whom I often talk about art. Sometimes other artists I follow on Instagram inspire me to try new motifs. For example, this is how my drawing “Weird Bird” came about.
A: Do you have any specific rituals while working (creating)?
J: Rituals not directly. I usually draw in the evening to relax and let my thoughts drift.
A: What would you recommend to someone who’s new to art (whether artist or just an admirer), what to begin with?
J: If something interests you, try it. Don’t lose yourself too much in theory, try it. Learn by doing. Try new things too. For example, digital drawing is completely different from regular drawing. One likes it, the other doesn’t. But you only know that for yourself, if you try it.
A: What are your three favourite adjectives related to art?
J: Creative, individual and expressive.
A: The best angle to look at art is from ...?
J: From every angle. Art often looks completely different when you change your perspective. Be open to new things.
A: The perfect phrase to start any conversation about art is: ...?
J: I don’t like phrases. Whether and how I start a conversation about art depends on the person I’m talking to.
A: Must-read books to help us talk about art (or do we even need them)?
J: I think that’s a individual decision. I usually don’t talk theoretically about art. Therefore I cannot give any recommendation for books about art in general. But I’m interested in individual artists and their lives and work. Therefore I am clearly pro biographies.
A: If you could change one thing in the art world - what would it be?
J: I don’t feel like I am part of the big art world. I don’t have enough experience to say what I would like to change in the world of art.
A: Please, share your favorite quote (not necessarily related to art).
J: To be honest I have a whole collection of quotes... But I recently found a graffiti under a bridge that really speaks to my heart because it describes the past 2 years perfectly for me: „Diamonds withstand the pressure“.
Thank you!
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