The Others

Meet the Others: Eileen Lunecke

The Game Changers. The Rule Breakers. The Innovators. Discover some of the fantastic emerging talent showcasing their work at The Other Art Fair.

Eileen Lunecke is from Valdivia, Chile, where forests remain untouched and nature is all around. Santiago, where she lives now, is a city full of its own special charm, and offer many details Eileen observes on a daily basis.

Both types of scenery – natural landscapes and urban cityscapes – are her inspiration, and they are the beginning of her creative process. She observes the environment that surrounds her, constantly immersing herself in new locations that inspire her paintings.

Q&A with the Artist

Tell us about who you are and what you do. What is your background?

I am a visual artist, I was born in the south of Chile, in South America. From Chile, where I live to this day, I am constantly creating art to be able to spread all over the world.

Since I was little I showed an interest in creativity, particularly in art, and it was when I was 18 years old that I decided to make my interest official and study visual arts. That’s when I moved from my hometown to Santiago, the capital of Chile. Small town life was no longer part of my day to day, and now I would begin a journey in the “big city”.

I studied at Universidad Católica de Chile, and since then I have never stopped creating. I have complimented my degree with studies in other countries, and I have been perfecting my technique.Art is my profession, and at the same time it is my way of life.

Thanks to art, I have been able to visit many countries, initially seeking to improve myself as an artist, and later exhibiting my work in many parts of the world.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7mqJgFgXQ1/

What are the major themes you pursue in your work?

First, when I was just studying, I learned various painting techniques, and would definitely say that, since then, painting is my thing.

In the beginning, I was very interested in natural landscapes. I think it has to do with my origins, with my childhood surrounded by natural settings, trees, forests and rivers.

Back during my university days, and probably for the next 10 years, I made painting my discipline. Subsequently, and I would dare to say that only 2 or 3 years ago, I began to experiment with more urban themes and aesthetics. Now I am focused on portraying city life. It is my own daily routine in Santiago that inspires me. 

Among the city, there are, of course, people. And today I can say that I am painting people, more than ever. People feeling, people expressing themselves, expressing their emotions. My work is, more than ever, full of feelings.

How did you first get interested in your medium and what draws you to it specifically?

When I painted natural scenery, oil painting on canvas was definitely my hallmark. For a long time I painted with very thick paint, full of texture, using the impasto technique.

Later, I began to experiment with the acrylic technique. This new technique gave way to create new works inspired by a more urban aesthetic. The result is a much “smoother” painting, because it is precisely something much cleaner that I want to achieve. Something more concise, a synthesis of sensations. I have to be direct to transmit what I am looking for.

How has your style and practice changed over the years?

My painting is always changing. Although I can divide my “eras” into two: natural landscape during my first 10 years as a painter, and urban landscape after that, each of those times the technique has always been changing in order to improve.

Can you walk us through your process? How long do you spend on one work? How do you know when it’s finished?

Normally, in my current line of work, my process starts at the moment when an interesting scene crosses my path. In my daily routine, I walk to my artistic studio. When I see a moment that captures my eye, it automatically invites me to capture it’s essence in order to paint it.

I have an urge to immortalize a scene when I find it interesting. Part of this immortalization remains in my mind and another part, if possible, I immortalize with my cell phone’s camera.

I consider these casual and everyday photos to be “part of my notes,” so that I can later follow my path, arrive at my workshop, and start with the creation of a new work, always adding a bit of my own vision of the facts, and thus recreating what surrounds me. 

It is my way of collecting places and sensations.

En busca | 50cm x 30cm | Acrylic on Canvas | $990

What series or project are you working on next?

My biggest goal, right now, is to continue participating in exhibitions in different parts of the world.

A tremendous opportunity for me to be able to showcase my work in different parts of the world is The Other Art Fair. I have had the opportunity to participate in the Dallas edition last September, and the truth is that it was an incredible experience. I am honestly very happy. I would like to participate in many more editions because it is the perfect opportunity  for me to discover new places, capture new moments, immortalize experiences, and of course show my work.

What is the best advice given to you as an artist?

“Be whatever you choose to be, but always remember to be the best.”

Shop artwork by Eileen and other trailblazing artists at The Other Art Fair’s Online Studios.

Introducing The Other Art Fair Online Studios, a new online platform offering art lovers around the world access to over 800 Fair artists. The Online Studios will keep our community feeling inspired, engaged, and continue to spread joy through art.