Altea Natau
Altea Natau is forging high-intensity connections with her audiences through her practice centred around acrylics, pastels, and pencils. The energy she imbues within each of her works speaks to a sense of freedom and sensuality that inevitably emanates an aura of acceptance, part of her commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, nonbinary, and all people in search of their authentic selves. She romanticizes and normalizes the love and passion between men, while everyone is still aiming to show a woman’s body as a priority and as a standard in today’s contemporary art world.
Raised in Lithuania, she was drawn to the life of an artist from a young age. At only three, she found every moment consumed by the desire to sketch. The unrelenting passion inspired her to pursue a career as a professional artist, leading her to study the discipline of painting at the Art Faculty in Lithuania. Today,, her practice is based in Oslo, Norway, where she explores the relationships between various mediums and paper. One of the biggest influences through her carrier was a French multidisciplinary painter- Jean Cocteau.
Please tell us more about your background and how you began creating art?
I begun my artistic journey when I was very very young, maybe at the age of 3, i remember drawing everywhere i went or sat. This passion grew stronger and my parents had no other choice than to take me to the art school after classes back in Lithuania. And that school was the first brick in the wall that helped me kind of understand my path. The second brick was the Faculty of arts after i graduate from school. I was just never happier when i was not creating, and being in this bohemic art society where everyones hangs around in certain venues, musicians, painters, film makers.. all that inspired me to the highest level.
What does your art aim to say to the viewers?
Well it is a message and support and hope for all LGBT+ community as well as every other communities around the globe, to help to understand the freedom of expression. I aim to show how beautiful and powerful can be any kind of love and that there can be no space for hate and misstreatments. Through color i aim to show passionate relationships, sensual, sexual and melancholic. All it comes from the emotional place, it heals and soothes your soul.
Do you have an essential philosophy that guides you in your creative expression?
I am deeply inspired by film stills, sculpture masters like Rubens and Michelangelo. And also French multidisciplinary artist Jean Cocteau. I think my philosophy in general is freedom of expression, freedom of being oneself through nude male bodies and comes from the place of deep emotions and inspirations. I have very intimate relashionship with paper, it fullfills all my creative needs.
What art marketing activity do you put into practice regularly that works most successfully for you?
As i am working on my webside at the moment, i only market and sell my work through Instagram, people can write me a direct message and Ask for available work or enquire a commission. Another plattform that i recenlty registered my account with is Pinterest. I often participate in open calls or artist rezidencies. Trying to take every possibility there is.
Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What is your daily routine when working?
My creating process begins in my head and my mind first. 24/7 i look for references conciuosly and unconciuosly everywhere in everyday life. It never stops, i programmed my self to be awake in searching for ideas all the time. Then when i have clear picture and composition in my head i transfer that on the paper, and it already comes with a certain emotion of melancholy or happiness or sexual desire in wonderous expressions. Then the second part are colors, i premeditate them before phisical touch on the paper, so it goes all pretty much smoothly once i hit the paper.
How much planning goes into each artwork?
As i mentioned above it is constant search it never stops, but once i hit the surface of paper - it flows. Its already there in my head ready to be teleported to another space and surface.
What’s the essential element in your art?
Emotion, freedom, feeling and color choice. If all 4 are there, i am very happy with my work. It is important for me to feel emotional connection with a piece how it speaks to me. The viewer need to feel too, this energy exchange back and forth with a piece thats what is essiantial for me.
In your opinion, what role does the artist have in society?
In my opinion, enormous and very profound role artist plays in society, maybe one of the most influential, most inspiring, so much it can save lifes- just with presence and messages sent in their art. It supports you, soothes you, balances, heals and liberates YOU from certain beliefs, gives a hope for better and more meaningful life.
Are there any projects you are currently working on and able to speak about?
I am working on a new series on paper right now, experimenting bigger sizes, bigger chalanges. Also very excited to enter open call ,, works on paper,, that been waiting for 1 year. I will continue entering open calls, artist rezidencies, submit for more interviews.
