Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Katinka Huang. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Katinka, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I am definitely grateful to be an artist because I see it as an occupation with the most amount of freedom. There’s no set of rules to follow to become an artist and there’s no corporate ladder to climb to get to where you want to be. I have the flexibility to try out all sorts of jobs as long as it supports my studio practice and expands my mind. I can work at a shop, restaurant, library, as another artists’ assistance.. Whatever I choose to do I’ll still get to be an artist while accumulating an abundance of life experience which contributes to the substance of my work in the end. I often think about what I would do if I wasn’t an artist, and I think it would be a lot of fun to be a food stylist, but I’m not sure if I would call that a regular job!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am an artist based in New York City. I was born in Shanghai and spent my adolescence years in the UK. My dual cultured upbringing in a female centric environment, led to my interest in examining the complexity of the female psyche and enigma that surrounds the female body. Growing up, I was in a constant state of adjustment, because I was endlessly trying to fit into two cultures’ ideologies of femininity. This process felt like I was continuously shapeshifting.. My painting of the female form responds to my consistent state of flux and my ongoing inner discords of how I should behave as a woman. Through my paintings I am able to abandon standards of beauty and expectations of femininity. I embrace absurdism in my depiction of women, capturing raw and turbulent emotional states. The satirically painted women in my work with animalistic bodies serve as a site of rebellion, challenging the ‘sophisticated’ portrayal of women across culture. I tell stories with the female body, depicting the figures as monstrous or saccharine creatures, as antagonists and protagonists, fragmenting a tempestuous personal diary into evocative tales.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Growing up, the idea of resilience and overcoming hardship to be successful was deeply embedded in my mindset. This notion of “pressure forges diamonds” led to a blurred line between working hard, embracing the discomfort of growth and pushing oneself to the extreme through chaos for favorable results. This struggle-centric working method has affected many aspects of my life, particularly within my studio practice. I believed the depth of my work relied solely on navigating intense struggles, resulting in many unhealthy narratives which I thought enriched the substance of my work. In the past this led to overthinking, overworking, rejecting help, not sleeping and just being riddled in anxiety. This method of working suggests the final outcome is the sole purpose of my work instead of the process. This completely contradicts the reasons why I chose to become an artist in the first place, which is rooted from a love for the process, engaging in reflection, redirections and experimentations.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

It’s planting a seed and seeing your idea grow into something totally exciting and unforeseen. The process of creating sometimes feels conflicting and out of control, almost like you’re having a wrestling match with your own work. You think you have this great idea, but it’s just not happening no matter how hard you try. It’s like your work is resisting all your efforts. For me, the most rewarding aspect is when I eventually navigate this conflict by embracing trial and error and ending up with something completely unexpected, an exciting new idea or technique to work with. This process not only opens up a totally new avenue of creativity but also allows me to witness firsthand my growth and evolution as an artist. That, to me, is the most fulfilling aspect of what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.katinkahuang.com
• Instagram: @katinkaworlplace

Image Credits
the two photos with me in it are by Guy Nechmad Stern