“When I start something I´m free and fearless and I trust my decisions.”
Name
Theresa Weber
Profession
Artist
Website
Who are you? What do you do?
I´m a young female artist that makes what comes to her mind. I´m studying arts at the Academy of Arts in Düsseldorf, Germany. In my work I´m painting, making installations, forming objects and figures in a certain aesthetics and also with certain colours and symbols.
Besides that, I see everything I do as my cultural output and it influences my work. I play music at parties as “DJ QueenT” and learn different dance styles. I play Basketball in the streets and I help an environmental organisation called Nah-Buteh e.V.
Where are you from?
I was born in Düsseldorf and raised in Krefeld, which is a city nearby, having German, Jamaican and Greek roots.
Your style in 3 words?
Colourful, urban, versatile
Your weakness? Your strength?
I sometimes pressure myself too much to use my time 100%.+ When I start something I´m free and fearless and I trust my decisions.
What makes you different?
I´d say that it´s hard for me to be talked out of my creations and ideas that come to mind. Categories of society are a topic in my work. I´m influenced by European art history, by native arts, and I connect this with urban images and materials that are surrounding me. I take a lot of inspiration from trips to Jamaica meeting relatives or projects like an artist residency I made in Colombia this year.
When did you decide to become an artist?
I´ve always been painting and said I wanted to become an artist since I was in kindergarden, without really knowing what it means. In my childhood I went to the big academy exhibition Rundgang with my family every year and loved it. It always had this magical vibe of freedom and adventure. At the age of 8, I said that I´m going to study there one day. When I finished school, I got accepted and started right after.
What do you find most fascinating about your work?
It´s fascinating to see that looking back in time, I find new meanings to my artwork. For example when I see a painting that I made 10 years ago, at the age of 12, showing a black woman in front of a bar chair, painted in strong colours and illustrative contours and her dress is in a material of glitter fabrics, I suddenly get to see that there´s something I want to show and talk about. And that the fascination of materials and colours really comes from my mind, soul, and spirit. This is what I should and what I can do.
A few words about your favourite creation?
I could hardly say I got a favourite creation…but I see my works as individuals, showing different situations out of different emotions. They all have a certain meaning and focus on different individual aspects. Let it be a connection of two colours or two materials, the symbols they´re showing or the figures that are narrating something.
Someone else’s work that inspired or inspires you…
Who very much always inspired me is the big JM Basquiat with his faith in his lines, his freedom and enthusiasm in creation. He was one of the first ones dealing with identity, symbolism, and society. Isa Genzken inspires me with creating powerful objects and installations, combining given materials of a certain – and sometimes personal – meanings. I love the sensitive compositions of Agnes Martin with her clear thoughts. Nowadays Nina Chanel is a great artist to me. It´s inspiring how she lets her work appear in different contexts next to the arts scene and makes it visible for everyone, as for example on a basketball court in a school or on clothes etc. I like how she finds an image making to show situations and makes them a topic.
I also appreciate the work of my new professor Ellen Gallagher, who is very sensitive in choosing the right media to show the content she wants to bring in. It´s empowering to see how she deals with important topics naturally. Another person that inspired me a lot was my previous professor Katharina Grosse. It´s great how she thinks about the borders of what a painting can be in her work.
A new project coming up or an idea you want to work on?
I just started a project with a friend that’s an artist from Peru. We invented a “shirt brand in an arts context”, which is called I&eye. We printed my art work on 50 eye catchy shirts and sold them at a booth while playing music there. I like to make my message and symbols appear in different eventful contexts and close to life. It´s also talking about fashion, time and the commercialisation of pop art. Now we´re going to bring out shirts with new art works from time to time, which always will be limited edition.
For myself, I´m creating many tiny figures in very individual forms and colours in the moment. The pool of individuals grows constantly to be a group/ network/ society. In the end I want to exhibit them all together.
Finish the sentence „More important than my career is…“
…to give love to the smaller circle and to stay real.
2018: Where are we going?
2018 seems to be a year full of changes – politically and individually. We should all work on keeping the communication and supporting the peaceful situation. For myself there´s a lot to do and I feel motivated.
When the going gets tough…
…I keep creating.
Your city’s favourite spots?
I love to be on the roof top of the academy, with this great view over the skyline of Düsseldorf and river Rhein.
Do you have a vision?
My vision is that people of every kind can live next to each other, supporting one another in their differences. The symbol of the eye pair I paint stands for the different view each of us has in life.
I want to spread a positive message, using powerful colours in a society which is sometimes too grey or black and white. It´s all about loving and accepting yourself.
What would you do if you could change the World?
If I could change the world I would bring mankind to respect nature, animals and each other more and to get rid of radical ideologies.
Tell us about your future plans…
After my degree I want to spend some time in Berlin, London and New York – places I love. I also want to go to Africa and to Latin America another time to collaborate with different artists.
Last but not least: what is your favourite Song?
One hymne of my life is Marley´s Redemtion song “…non but our selves can free our minds…”
and right now it´s Django Jane by Janelle Monae – great woman.
#…?
#peace #love #respect
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