Interview: Heike Eiber
Luca Curci talks with Heike Eiber, WINNER of ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2024 Competition, during THE BODY LANGUAGE at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello in Venice.

Heike Eiber, born in Düsseldorf in 1961, came into contact with architecture, modern art, design and painting at an early age through her father (architect and painter). After an intensive professional life, the lawyer and conference manager has been devoting herself to painting with acrylics since 2012. What was initially intended as a creative balance to her intensive and challenging professional life quickly developed into a passion. Through workshops with various artists, she has learned a wide variety of techniques and means of expression in order to further develop her own creativity.

Luca Curci – What are your thoughts while you paint?
Heike Eiber – I agree with Paul Cézanne: If I think while painting, everything is lost. I try to turn off my head, let go and surrender to the colors.

LC – Do you have any habits or rituals while you work?
HE – Yes, there are habits, which make it easier for me to transition from everyday life to work that makes me happy. First the hands are nicely greased so that the paint comes off the hands more easily after the painting session, then I absolutely need good music and I have to have time. Always work on a primed, white canvas first with different media: colored pencils, china markers, chalks, soft pastels, pencils in different thicknesses to get a structure on the canvas. These lines are rarely seen later, but they give me a familiar workflow and determine the start of a new work.

LC – What is the trigger that leads you to paint?
HE – I actually want to paint every day, a day without paint on my hands is a lost day. There’s no need for a trigger, it drives me to the studio every day, even if sometimes there’s only a little I can do when I don’t have time.

LC – Which art themes do you pursue? What is your preferred subject, if there is any?
HE – I love abstract art because it allows us to do anything and everything is possible. An infinite freedom that makes me happy. Especially the subject or direction of “informal art”.

LC – What do you think about art on social media? Are they turning into the new showcases of contemporary art?
HE – Art has become an integral part of social media. It’s an immediate, free and fast way to show your art and get reactions. A “test field” so to speak. All the artists that I know personally are represented on social media, but there is also a huge range of online workshops, often free of charge. You can expand your horizons and make contacts all over the world. For the artists who perhaps don’t dare or don’t have the means to show their paintings in a real exhibition, it’s a showcase and it always works both ways. You get feedback, sometimes praise, even criticism, but also suggestions for improvement.

LC – What are the three hashtags essential to define your poetics that you could not give up?
HE – #abstract art #joy #colorful

LC – What do you think about the organization of our event? Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
HE – The competition was well organized and questions were answered quickly, making it easy to take part. I really enjoyed working together, of course also because I was chosen as one of the winners, “Artist of the Year”. I would and have already recommended participation to other artists.