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

Hi Constanze, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I worked on so far was a collaboration for poetry month organized by the Firehouse Art Center in Longmont. For the exhibition artists were paired with poets to work together on a project. I was paired with Valerie A Szarek (Poet Val), who describes herself as a poet, healer and artisan. Her background is deeply rooted in spirituality and her indigenous roots, while I am very much a product of my upbringing in Germany with a professional background in architecture and urban design. On the surface it seemed that we would have very little in common, but we hit it off right from the start. And we discovered what we have in common: a deep appreciation and awe for nature as well as a belief in kindness and overcoming what hurts and divides us – may it be within ourselves or within society. We took this as our starting point for our collaboration “Kintsugi – the Gift of Shatter”. We developed the poem and the artwork hand in hand, in a constant dialogue, challenging ourselves to discover new ways to express ourselves. For me that meant transforming my usually two dimensional watercolor landscapes to a collage that truly represented the principle “Kintsugi” which is the beauty of embracing fractures to create something even more beautiful in the process. Here’s the poem, a picture of the painting is attached:

Kintsugi: The Gift of Shatter

How do we stop, turn, step
into the glacier’s calving,
the turbulence created
when we shear
from the familiar?

How do we break
in order
to mend back together,
more beautiful than before?

We heal we heal we
reach for the glue
to shield our cracks
from failing
from falling
into the unrecognizable

Not trusting any sacred
re-membering
to piece us back

Not trusting the magic
encoded within
iced-over,
needing fractures
in order to thaw

to remember
for us
that we belong
to each other

Resilience cannot take hold
without fractals of grief
allowed in – black armbands
showing our embrace
of night, of uncertainty

Humans are not meant
for certainty and solid
but for finding
again and again

Those beautiful mirrored lights
those hopeful stars
that call us back,
again and again,
whole

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi there, I’m Constanze, an artist specializing in abstract landscapes.

I’m a transplant from Germany and now call the US my home. After four years surrounded by the mountains of the front range in Colorado I have recently relocated to the golden hills of California. Creating art is my passion and I use every spare minute to paint! I work out of my little studio in the Tri-Valley area, with views of Mount Diablo out my window as my constant inspiration.

Coming from a background of architecture and urban design I always had a passion for creativity. But while architecture demands a focus on detail, accuracy and utility, my art gives me the opportunity to explore my creativity more freely. Nature is my main source of inspiration and landscapes are my favorite subject. I mainly work in acrylics and watercolor, but I am always open to other creative outlets like collage and textiles. In my acrylic paintings I love to play with color and texture, capturing the atmosphere and hidden layers of my motifs. In my watercolors I embrace the imperfections and evolving nature of the medium: Not being able to fully control the outcome is a gift I have learned to embrace! Being surrounded by all the beauty the world around me has to offer fills me with happiness and awe – and I hope that I can capture those feelings with my paintings!

Defining myself as an artist is still rather new to me; it took me a while to fully transform from “architect and urban designer” or even “mom” to “artist”. What gave me that confidence? Two things: 1. Developing my own style and seeing myself evolve and grow as an artist and 2. touching other people with my art – be it on instagram, a display at a local store or through an exhibition.
My next challenges as an artist will be to capture all the beautiful landscapes the bay area has to offer – and to establish myself as an artist here. I’m looking forward to both!

In the meantime you can have a look at my paintings and can connect with me via my homepage or instagram:

instagram: @constanze_arenz_art
website: www.constanzearenz.art

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

When I meet new people and introduce myself as an artist I often hear the phrase “Oh, that’s great, but I’m not an expert” as a first response. People seem to constantly feel judged about their taste and knowledge and that makes them uncomfortable and eventually missing out on experiences. With my art I hope to chip away at the “ivory tower” that art is sometimes perceived to be. I hope that with my art and my interactions I can contribute to making art a “normal”, integral part of life. There’s no right or wrong in how you perceive art – some pieces speak to you, others don’t. And that’s ok!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

As so often, business career and life intersect. Before my husband, my two kids and I moved back to the US, I worked as an urban designer in Munich, Germany. My job was to manage high profile, Europe wide design competitions. I worked with cities and private clients, guiding them to find the best solutions. In Europe design competitions are an integral part of finding the best bid for large and/or public projects. In short, it was my dream job. The thing is, the system in the US works very differently and this kind of job is non existent. So I had to pivot, after the move. At first I tried to hold on to my dream job and worked remotely for my former employer. I went to work on my computer at 4am to overlap with German business hours and to be available for calls, but the distance grew wider and wider and my satisfaction with my job declined steadily. And then the pandemic hit with no child care basically overnight and my husband working from home. That was the point when I really decided that I have to completely pivot. It was time to develop a new dream that would work with the new realities. And with spending so much time scooped up at home, the pandemic gave me the opportunity to try something new: Revive my creative roots and get painting again.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.constanzearenz.art
• Instagram: @constanze_arenz_art

Image Credits
Joanna Kosmider Constanze Arenz-Kulkarni