Image via Complex Original
This past year has been a whirlwind for artist Lina Viktor. Time and time again she has been presented with opportunities to show her unique graphic creations, and regardless of how chaotic her schedule becomes, count on the fact that she will get the job done.
“The Wu-Tang billboard I did for WallPlay’s ‘WU-HA | 20 20’ exhibition was done in four days,” explains Viktor. “There’s a lot of mad dashing when I’m invited to create a piece, but it all happens to work out. I’ve found that I work well under pressure. This is the best me, and I’ve never been more sure about myself and my work than right now. I am creating in my Golden Age.”
The 27-year-old from Surrey, England has plenty to feel golden about. Her very first piece was shown just last May at New York’s Rox Gallery, where it was in great company with Peter Beard, Ryan McGinley, and Andy Warhol pieces. From there, her works traveled to Art Basel Miami Beach 2013, where she exhibited alongside works fromTakashi Murakami and Jean-Michel Basquiat. She’s recently been enlisted to create a stop-motion work for the esteemed fashion publication Visionaire.
“I am working on perfecting my visual narrative. I’ve always created art but it hasn’t been until recently that I’ve shown it. Beforehand, I was too worried about people’s reception to it, but now I realize I’m only responsible for voicing or showing what it is I see in my world,” says Viktor.
Strictly adhering to a color palette of black, white, and hand-gilded 24-karat gold in her works has transferred to her wardrobe as well. Sitting in a back room of The Bowery Hotel, Viktor wears black from head to toe with the exception of gold jewelry and shiny, cobalt blue on her stiletto nails. The hue is the latest color she’s beginning to use in her art. “I admire Yves Klein’s work and am drawn to the regality of the blue he uses. He describes the color as having no dimensions. We associate it with things of vastness like the sky and the sea. That is powerful.”
Pieces from this new body of work will be shown in her first solo exhibition in Chelsea this coming April. Having studied film and photography at New York-based art schools, Viktor admits she was inspired to venture into art after working a stint with Spike Lee. “I’ll always have a love for film, but as an artist, there’s a certain level of instant gratification that I like. Films are a collaborative effort, and I found I had to rely on others too much to complete something,” explains Viktor. “Once you pass that threshold of being scared of your potential and you realize you can do what you want to do, that fear starts to motivates you. That’s why I’m all about empowering others to believe in themselves. I’ve learned tremendously from it and know that it’s only onward and upward from here.”
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Portfolio Review: Painter Lina Viktor Shares Her Fascination With Gold, Geometry, and the Wu-Tang Clan
Now. And Forever More
Date: 2013
"This portrait debuted in spring of 2013 at Rox Gallery alongside works by Andy Warhol, Peter Beard, and Ryan McGinley in a show called 'ROCK$.' The show dealt with our obsession with acquiring material objects and their perceived significance within society. Given the nature and materials of my work, it was a perfect marriage of concept and aesthetic. This was my first exhibited painting in many years, and it sold within a week, so it marked a very special re-emergence for me."
Golden Ratio, 2013
Date: 2013
"Golden Ratio was my first piece where I started using pure 24-karat gold on my work, and I have not used anything else since. The painting was a homage to art and math—the golden ratio applies to both. This debuted at Rox Gallery in the fall of 2013 at a show called 'Delusions.'"
Process and Materials
"I have always been obsessed with geometry, ancient symbols, and of course gold, one of the most scarce yet indestructible metals that exists on earth. The process of production—from the research, to the testing, and the learning curve I undergo when creating—is often more interesting to me than the final product. Since I practice ancient techniques (like gilding), and incorporate precious metals (like gold), both of which are steeped in historical significance to civilization and culture, there is an intrinsic value placed into the work whether or not one appreciates the piece aesthetically."
Billboard, LV for Wu-Tang 20 Year Anniversary / "WU-HA | 20 20"
Date: Dec. 2013
"When I was asked to be one of the headlining artists for Wu-Tang 20 Year Anniversary, I jumped at the opportunity because, beyond being an honor, it also made a lot of sense. The concepts and universality of Wu-Tang, their ethos and message, spoke to me and also resonates indirectly in my work. The hand gilding of the Wu billboard was done over the course of a week, and it was a non-stop endeavor to get it done in time. It hung for 2 months in the Lower East Side and has been archived for later Wu exhibitions that will take place in 2014. The pictures are of the earlier stages of gilding, and the finished product during install.
"The creation of the Wu Billboard was well documented by WallPlay, who housed the first exhibition last winter into the New Year. Laura O'Reilley, CEO of WallPlay, has built an exceptional art gallery and concept space. It was perfect for viewing this work. One could watch a stop-motion film chronicling the making of the billboard alongside the final piece at street level from outside and within the gallery."
5. 24/360, LV for Wu-Tang 20th Anniversary / "WU-HA | 20 20"
Date: Dec. 2013
"Along with the Wu billboard, I created a painting of the iconic 'W' for the gallery exhibition. This piece debuted in New York and traveled to the Official Wu-Tang Art Basel Exhibition at The Delano, Miami, where it was exhibited alongside works by Takashi Murakami and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The WU-HA platform will continue throughout 2014, and will culminate with an exhibition at the Japanese American National Museum in Sept. 2014."
LV for Visionaire / "30 Days 30 Artists"
Date: Dec. 2013
"I contributed a motion work to the revered art and fashion publication Visionaire as part of their celebration of 2014. 30 artists were selected by Cecilia Dean and James Kaliardos to create an original work that was debuted throughout the month of December.
"This short stop-motion piece for Visionaire was the first time I have returned to film since 2008. I studied filmmaking at SVA and other institutions before I had a short stint working for Spike Lee. This was a perfect re-introduction into the editing process.
"I will be directing at least two art films in 2014, one of which will be a collaboration with my favorite new brand, Janvier, and shot in the iconic Versace Mansion in Miami. The second will be disclosed at a later date."
2D to 3D
"My evolution is constant, and because I am the subject in a great deal of my work, self-evolution is key. In 2014 I am working towards creating sculptures and 3D pieces that can take my aesthetic to different dimensions. These pieces are untitled and speak to new works and renderings that I will debut later this year."
Fade to Blue
"I purposely have kept my work throughout 2013 within a very strict color palette as I always intended the gold to be the most prominent aspect. However, I have been drawn to the regal qualities of blue, and that will also be incorporated into a great deal of my work in 2014. The works above are the first of many pieces within my blue period. Both pieces are untitled."
