Interview: Kaat Stieber
Luca Curci talks with Kaat Stieber during LONDON CONTEMPORARY 2021, at THE LINE Contemporary Art Space.

Kaat Stieber’s main mission within the art industry is to create painterly pictures. Working from her imagination, she combines crafts such as photography, costume making, concepting ideas, directing and over twenty years of experience in theatre into one rich final product. Always building and replaying stories in mind, always clutching a camera to capture specific scenes. Her works of art resemble tableaus from the Dutch Golden Age, clearly depicting pride in Dutch roots and identification with classic Dutch culture. An admiration of surrealists adds to the scene. Kaat Stieber, crafting from the brain of a dreamer, mostly works with children for her portraits. The children in her images are seen as wholesome humans, each one strongly portraying a certain character. Kaat Stieber is clear in the direction of her pictures – she follows her own, distinctive path and doesn’t compromise. The life experiences that lead her to create her own painterly realms come with patience in building exactly what is necessary for a photo.

LUCA CURCI – What are you currently working on?
KAAT STIEBER – Next month my first art book will be launched. I am very excited about this event coming up and preparing also. This book is the end of a photographic project I did for 4 years. So now I have time for new projects, I have plenty of ideas. The first new series will be created in October and November, it is all about parallel worlds that reflect the world we live in today

LC – What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
KS – I have performed and made performances in the theater world for more than 20 years. Meanwhile, I was always shooting, until I discovered that I can express myself better with a camera and a computer than on stage.

LC – Which is the role the artist plays in society? And contemporary art?
KS – I think art is becoming more and more important to humanity. art is timeless, has always survived everything because we need it more than we realize. Now that we live more and more in a cocoon, it is also more important to surround our home with beauty. Art offers comfort, an artist can tell the truth beautifully. A contemporary artist is able to translate art into current events so that it is captured as a memory.

LC – Where do you find your inspiration?
KS – Both everyday life and our rich cultural history fascinate me. I admire old masters because they had fewer resources and worked much longer for their art. The images I create just pop into my head. I am a thinker, mainly I think in images. If I like the image in my head I want to reproduce it, as long as it’s in my head it doesn’t exist.

LC – Do visitors’ suggestions enrich yourself and your art?
KS – All my art has a story, which I don’t always tell. Everyone can have their own interpretation of my work. Then you get the feeling as if the art was made especially for you. I do like to hear the stories that visitors have about my work, that’s what I enjoy the most. This is how an artwork sometimes gets an extra meaning for me too.

LC – Do you agree with our vision of art and what do you think about the theme of the festival?
KS – For me, it is the most current theme, humanity is in doubt about good and bad. it is difficult to know what is right for you and can also differ in opinion, even within friendships and family. This is just the beginning of a new beginning I’m afraid.

LC – In which way the artwork presented in our exhibition is connected with the festival’s theme?
KS – We are all impressed by the pandemic we are going through right now. However, this is not the first time in human history. My art is inspired by the old master Da Vinci and at the same time, she wears a mask of this time. The present, the past, the human body, our state of mind, everything is always connected in every age.

LC – What do you think about ITSLIQUID Platform?
KS – It can give a nice stage to everyone who works on his passion and art. This is a great advantage of the modern age, the boundaries are limitless because we can reach each other online.

LC – What do you think about the organization of our event?
KS – The communication is a bit poor unfortunately, I understand that it is a lot to organize with so many artists and countries. but I’m certainly grateful for the opportunity. it pleases me when my art is seen and appreciated by others.

LC – Did you enjoy cooperating with us?
KS – Of course, it’s a wonderful gift that my art can travel to one of my favorite cities in the world. I consider it a privilege that I can express myself and that there is an audience who likes to watch it. I feel blessed.