We had a chat with Staselė Jakunskaitė to know a bit more about her career, routine and challenges as a visual artist and illustrator. We met Stasele a few years ago during one of our Artfully Markets, and since then we have been huge fans of her work.
She is based in Dublin, working in the fields of conceptual illustration, advertising, publishing, indie print projects and murals. Her works combine narrative print and riso aesthetics, surrealistic motives, irony, simplicity and sensual conceptual ideas, inspired by reflection of reality and subconsciousness. Also, her illustrations’ characters feature Legswap, Shinebright and Insideout labels.
But we will say no more. Enjoy the interview!
Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I was born in the former USSR in Siberia, but grew up in Lithuania, although I feel as 100% Lithuanian I am actually asian-white ethnicity. Currently I’m living and working here in Dublin.
My background is in Fine Arts – I graduated in painting from Vilnius Art Academy, despite technical stuff this school was more about contemporary art and also gave me a deep understanding of conceptual thinking and invaluable mentorship experience. After the graduation I shifted my career towards the illustration as I always felt I wanted to draw rather than paint. I enjoy working for briefs the same as on personal projects. The idea that my art is actually used for purpose and seeing it on packaging or posters in the streets always fascinates me!
When and how did you first start making art?
I always was drawing. My father is an artist and I grew up surrounded by oil paints, canvases and all his creative ups and downs. At that time he was working as an art director in the military and as a scenographer in theatre , but he always wanted to be an independent artist. Probably this influenced me to choose this path since childhood. I spent all my last school years drawing in the back of school pads – this was mostly graffiti sketches, at that time I didn’t know you were supposed to have a tag name, so I was drawing random English words and surely would have realised them on the walls if I had had more cash for spray-paints.
How would you define your artistic style?
I would define my style as conceptual – the ideas are the most important in my work, I use many symbols and archetypes, and my goal is to create illustrations with a clear message which the viewer can sense rather than explain in words. My visual style I would describe as graphical, flat and narrative with bits of primitive sensuality, I also use many textures and hand drawn lines to create analogue-like print feeling.
What or who are your inspirations? Where do you take your inspirations from?
I find inspiration in many things like observing nature, but mostly I see this sort of subconscious process, I just have some idea in my mind and only after some time passed I can see that it reflects in a way with my life or how I feel. For client work I find the inspiration in brief or theme, for me it’s definitely helpful to have some sort of path than to work on open briefs. The unconditional amount of choices stresses me out and I end up struggling to find the right one.
What is your creative process like?
I would split my process in a few parts – first I think about the concept and always start to work when I have a clear idea in mind, the idea is the most important part for me. I need to put myself in a sort of meditative state for this and usually go for a walk alone. Sketching part needs lots of concentration as well, I usually listen to music during this part and need to isolate myself from any disturbance. The next part is more technical and mostly the longest, filling layers etc. Here I don’t need to use my brains so much so I like listening to audiobooks and podcasts during this time, this is a great part of being an illustrator, as you can work and at the same time spread your knowledge in different fields!
As for the technical side of the process I use a combination of Procreate and Photoshop in combination with scanned risograph and screen-print textures.
How do you see the local art scene?
Can’t say much about all art scenes, I can talk only about illustration (however not sure it is right to call it illustration, as illustration is more of a commissioned work, illustrating something for purpose etc. It should be called somehow different – perhaps there should be created some new term for this, as this is more when to say just a drawing or graphics. Graphics is more a reflection of some analogue graphic techniques like lithograph or aquatint. I will call it an illustration here anyway, although it might not be right. )
So basically, illustration is not seen as an art form and is considered more as part of the design world and creative industries. I see the illustration scene in Ireland as vibrant and growing and it has many interesting artists, despite that it is always strange for me that there are almost no real art galleries showing works of illustrators. This is probably the problem not only in Ireland but mostly everywhere. Arts council and governmental funding organizations don’t see it as a real art form, but more as a commercial thing, however if an illustrator is working on personal I see it as very similar to any fine arts or even a digital reincarnation of old dead painting.
Illustration scene is mostly running through initiatives of private businesses, most art shows here are in pubs or bars. This is all great, but I’d say it is a bit tricky as these businesses are more interested in the profit and can fall in the trap of indulging towards potential buyers as well as may depend on the particular taste of the pub owner (who might be far from the art world), rather than asking uncomfortable questions or basically pushing the boundaries of the art form.
What are the biggest challenges for you as an artist in the current world scenario (covid-19 pandemic) and how did you manage to adapt to this new reality?
The biggest challenge, of course, is finding the balance, while working from home with kids. I really see being a woman artist is even more challenging, despite we live in times of theoretical gender equality. Although it is not much different than before the pandemic as we were mostly home-schooling all the time. I have three little kids so sometimes it gets crazy and basically no time is left for anything else. I am learning to put self-care like practising gratitude and being present as first priority, it really helps to keep me sane during this challenging time. However I am much more productive now than ever before, as now all the time for work is spent for work rather than hanging around and smoking cigarettes in the backyard of art academy.
Can you tell us a bit about your latest projects?
Currently I work on an illustration series for a podcast related to the pandemic “In This Strange Times” for Dublin Science Gallery, they will be making large prints on Pearce street, can’t wait to see it! As well my recent work won an Open House Vilnius poster competition and should be all around the streets of Vilnius soon!
Any new plans/projects for the future? Could you tell us a bit?
I would like to do more large scale murals, maybe publish a graphic book full of SWAPs and open my own risograph studio!
Where can people find more about you and your work?
www.instagram.com/staselejakunskaite
