Award-Winning artist Kristel Bechara launches her latest collection: PSYCHOMACHIA. The series of paintings are inspired by events of the past year and recall the grand poem, Psychomachia, from the early fifth century AD by the Latin poet, Prudentius. Each painting is an enticement of discovery through her signature style of contrasting colours and allows us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. The series takes us on a journey within, cutting through the torrent of images we see around us every day, while capturing a moment in time provoking us to think deep. Viki Shah chats with Kristel to know more.
Considered one of the most influential works in medieval allegory, the plot of the poem Psychomachia, revolves around the battle between the virtues of Hope, Sobriety, Chastity and Humility against the vices of Pride, Wrath, Paganism and Avarice. A heartrending reminder of the tumult that we all experienced last year.
This battle culminates with each virtue prevailing over its opposing vice, with Chastity defeating Lust, Anger surrendering to Patience and Love being victorious over Greed. Again, giving us all a glimmer of hope for the world to be all right once again.
The poem at its very core is about the eternal battle between good and evil.
This series is also an exploration of the battle between good and evil and all the things in between. Each painting is an invitation of self-exploration and discovery. Inspired by Greek mythology, the series takes its viewers on a journey within. The paintings portray mythological figures and fables in a new light, from a perspective that will leave the viewer asking poignant questions about life, love, values and the human condition.
How did you pick Psychomachia as your inspiration for these series?
It all started when I painted The Pandora’s Box at the end of 2019 which was supposed to be a solo piece but evolved into a whole series in 2020 while living through the challenging times. The time at home during the lockdowns gave me the opportunity to start digging deeper into Greek mythology and its fascinating history. I found myself pouring over books and browsing websites for hours on end, so I could deeply immerse myself in this fascinating mythological world.
While researching it in depth, I discovered the epic poem, Psychomachia, which was written in the early fifth century by the Latin poet, Prudentius. Considered one of the most influential works in medieval allegory, I deeply connected with the poem’s exploration of our relationship with vices, virtues, and the human condition.
As soon as I read the poem, I knew that I could not stop at The Pandora’s Box. The mood’s and scenes of the poem resonated with our life in 2020 and it filled me with inspiration to create a whole series of paintings that encapsulated and honored the epic poem’s essence.
The paintings portray mythological figures and fables in a new light, from a perspective that will leave people asking poignant questions about life, love, and values.
What is your message to people through your series Psychomachia?
This series explores a multitude of themes and ideas about everything that life throws at us. It is an exploration of the battle between good and evil and all the things in between. Each painting is an invitation to self-exploration and discovery. The series takes its viewers on a journey within.
I hope that people will find themselves connecting to various pieces within the series, since we all have our internal struggles with being virtuous and conquering our vices. I feel these struggles are even more prominent today, as we find ourselves under mounting pressure to keep up with appearances and the fast-paced nature of the world we live in.
What is the significance of the colour pop with B&W in all your paintings, your signature style? What does it mean to you?
I always wanted to have a signature style I could express myself through, and which was truly unique to me. The whole idea was to have silhouettes in blacks, whites and greys with dynamic patterns and expressive colors to depict a wide spectrum of emotions, mainly focusing on joy and freedom. My style also originates from my desire to combine the classic idea of sketching and drawing with modern mixed media lines to form multi layered paintings. I wanted my work to be complex in its simplicity and embody the love I have for creation and art.
What has inspired you to pick women and feminism in your paintings?
I have grown up being surrounded by strong women. I hope to build a body of work that celebrates women who continuously inspire our world. It has always been my goal to portray women from all walks of life and honor their strengths, weaknesses, wit, laughter, joy and resilience. I also pay tribute to exceptional women from history and from modern times, reveling in their beauty, boldness, and refusal to conform to antiquated norms. My paintings are my personal contribution to the ever-evolving feminist movement.
How do you pick on a topic for your series? For example, how did Psychomachia happen?
I usually pick topics that have had an emotional or mental impact on me. Once the topic is chosen, I completely immerse myself in that world by diving into research that most of the time involves getting my hands on as many books and informational resources as I possibly can. In the case of Psychomachia, it was reading the poem over and over again and reading as much as I could on Greek mythology, which is a genre of literature in its own right.
How do you stay inspired?
Inspiration is a subject that I am endlessly fascinated with, (I have also written a blog on it which can be found on my official website.) I get inspirations from my everyday interactions with the world and nature. I also spend a fair amount of time researching artists whether contemporary or the old masters and will not miss an opportunity to go to art shows and museums when there the possibility to travel. Although I do this for fun and enjoyment, it also indirectly influences me and my artwork.
What do you want to convey to people through your art?
“Beauty in Diversity” is the statement that defines my art. As our world is beautiful because it is diverse and full of contrast. I try my hardest to highlight this aspect through my artwork and show that our differences are what makes us unique and divine. We should embrace these diversities and develop and open our minds to tolerance and inclusion.
Can you describe one artwork or series from your oeuvre that you feel was pivotal in your career?
That is truly a tough question to answer. All of my paintings have contributed in their own unique way to my growth as an artist. The other day I was reminded of the moment when I posted a picture of the Three Wise Woman on my Instagram. It was the first release of my Beauty in Diversity collection and it immediately started trending and garnering attention. It was truly an incredible experience witnessing all these positive comments pour in, just minutes after I posted the picture. On top of it all, the series was sold a couple of days.
How would you describe Kristel Bechara – the artist? Is she different from Kristel the woman, the mother, the wife, the daughter?
I believe, all of my different roles as an artist, woman, mother, wife and daughter are interconnected and contribute to each other’s significance. My identity as an artist is widely inspired and informed by the experiences that I have had as a woman in this world, who wears all these different hats and needs to fulfil the expectations placed on her by society at large.
What makes a great artist?
A great artist for me is someone who has their own unique artistic style or perspective and are not afraid to express their truth and how they feel deep inside. Essentially, great art is rooted in honesty and for an artist to produce that there needs to be unbridled passion and authenticity which needs to be tapped into and released onto the canvas.
What advice would you give to emerging female artists entering the art world?
My advice for emerging female artists would be to believe in yourself, try to develop your own style that you are passionate about and always create to satisfy yourself first. Then work really hard and be relentless. Hard work always pays off. I would also encourage the budding female artists to support and help each other, as we all need to stick together to pave the path for the future generations.
Visit https://www.atelierkristel.com/ to know more.