Exploring the New Art Frontier: Meet Digital Intuitive Artist Ekaterina (Eka) Lestienne

Ekaterina (Eka) Lestienne is a self-taught artist and a busy mother of three. It was during her time in the field of finance that she came to recognize the importance art plays in her life and in the life of her children. Eka has always enjoyed the arts, especially doodling, drawing and painting; however, her artistic journey did not begin until 2020. The effects of years of stress on her body led to both physical ailments and anxiety. By 2019, Eka was so physically exhausted that she was barely able to walk. It was at this point, where she reflected on her life and made the decision to reconnect to reality.

The Mountain Fairy

She began simple exercises to start healing her body and to stimulate her senses; simple tasks such as focussing on objects around her, their colours, tastes and smells, and even taking pleasure from sky watching. These practices not only helped her both physically and mentally, but they helped her realize how beautiful the world actually is.

Essentially Eka sees her artistic journey as a result of a spiritual awakening. It was at this point, where she started taking and processing pictures to reveal and share the magic she could see with others. For Eka, art is a total intuitive experience of noticing and reproducing beauty. She best describes her creation method as one where she trusts the process and wonders where it is going to bring her.

By Al Gord

Eka, it is a pleasure being able to talk to you and learn about you and your art. Being born in Crimea and now living in France has really allowed you to experience two very different countries. Does the influence of these diverse cultures play a role in your work?

Thank you Al, I am very pleased to talk to you. Thank you for this opportunity to discuss my artistic journey.

I have lived many lives! It made me absorb different influences and to become the person who I am today. Being multicultural makes me realize that we are not that different. Moreover, I am deeply persuaded that we are all connected somehow. This idea of connection to the people and to the world plays an important role in my creative universe. It is my intention to inspire those who see my work to look more carefully at the world around them, to feel the connection to the beauty that surrounds us.

You have been described as an intuitive artist. For those not familiar with the term, what does that mean and how does that affect your creations?

Being an intuitive artist for me is following the flow. I have signed an artistic pact with myself: creative ideas just come and I am liberating them. This is why I am addressing such a large variety of subjects. It is part of my process. When a creative idea is not liberated and is not given an opportunity to speak, it is somewhat offended and it blocks new inspirations. So I just let the beauty live, helping it to become visually tangible.

Following the creative flow takes courage. This journey is a lot about harmonizing past experiences and self-acceptance. For example, a few months ago, when I felt unhappy with my postpartum body, I took a simple selfie and created a confident looking auto portrait.

I remember discovering your work and seeing your female portraits, which has an almost mystical quality, as seen in your “Faeries” series. That is what first drew me to your art. In learning more about you as an artist, I discovered that your earlier works focussed on landmarks and cityscapes. How are your themes chosen and how do you see your evolution as an artist?

Right now, I am creating an artwork for the gender equality art contest. This makes me relive my personal struggles inventing visuals that will contribute to creating a world of equal opportunities for people of all genders. Making images that address different subjects is like starting conversations on a different level without words. I hope to share many more thoughts using my art as a universally understandable language.

I am proud to share with you my latest achievement: second place at the DigitalArt4Climate competition at the United Nations Climate Change Summit (COP26), Glasgow, Scotland. This was an amazing opportunity to use my art as a powerful tool to address a subject that is very important to me – climate change. I feel truly honoured to be able to contribute to global climate action. Moreover, I am now part of an incredible family of creative trailblazers. I believe that we are able to inspire so many people over the world to act, to protect our planet, our precious home.

Earth

That is incredible Eka! I had no idea that the UN had art related competitions. What an honour, that really speaks to both your talent and to the impact of your work. Congratulations! One common stylistic element with all of your pieces are the very vibrant in colours. This is obviously a strategic choice. Why is a bright colour palette so important to you and your work?

Colours play indeed the central role in my artworks. There is a quote by Wassily Kandinsky: “Color is a power which directly influences the soul.” I believe that the harmony of colours sends an important message of joy and happiness. The power of colour is healing and nurturing, it reminds us of what is really important in life.

Eka, technology is playing a newer role in the art industry. As such, digital art is gaining in popularity within the art world. What is it about digital art that you enjoy and what drew you to this medium in the first place?

My personal story with digital art starts with a photograph. I struggled to reflect in my photographs the beauty of this world I could see and I started processing them. It seemed not enough: there are things we see, but others we only feel, imagine or experience without even noticing. This idea led me to start creating collages that are more complex. These collages represented pieces of an image processed many times mixed with other media. To me this reflects the true structure of our world: combination of the seen and the unseen.

To be fully engaged in this creative journey, digital art has many advantages. I enjoy creating series of images while I do not need to worry about storing them or buying paints. It is both an eco-responsible and liberating practice.

Humanity

I have never thought of digital art concerning its impact on the environment or from a convenience perspective. That is a powerful way of looking at the art form. You have been categorized as a digital collage artist. When one typically thinks of collage, one tends to think of layers of material added on to each other to create unique images and at times, an almost three-dimensional effect. What is your process as a digital artist and how do you achieve the same results using software?

I am actually struggling to find the right name for my practices. I call it collage art because I mix many pieces and images. These pieces come from the layers I create using AI powered art filters. I make 30 to 50 layers per piece. The fact is my works do not look like typical digital or traditional collages. I have recently decided to call my art style “Crypto Baroque” with a reference to the Baroque style which is very charged both visually and emotionally to give viewers as intense visual experience as possible.

Crypto Baroque Peach

For some, digital art is still misunderstood. My understanding with your work is that you transfer your pieces on to a canvas much like any other painting, which still allows the buyer to display your work. Where do you see the digital art market going in the future and how do you see it affecting the world of art?

This is true that I have already been told that creating digital art is “too easy”. Some people will always prefer traditional art, which is great! Nevertheless, at the same time I notice that interest in digital art in general and in my work in particular is rising very fast.

Last month I actually sold three “physical” works. To create original pieces I use a printing technology called Digigraphie. These editions are technically the originals of my works because I only create a series limited to one work. At the same time, I believe that in the future digital artworks will be mostly sold as digital assets, which is going to offer a new freedom to both creators and collectors.

Congratulations on the sales! Recently you have ventured into the Non-Fungible Token (NFT) marketplace. This is a newer concept in the art world. What exactly is an NFT artwork and why is there such an interest in works that one cannot physically touch or display?

Oh, this is definitely the topic of my highest interest right now. Honestly, I do not totally understand the NFT movement but it seems to be a new and exciting adventure, and I definitely want to be part of it! I am currently participating in two NFT projects and I hope it will be a great success!

Eka, it has been a pleasure talking with you. I have learned a lot from you about an area of art in which I am not as familiar. Thank you for that. In closing, do you have any messages for up-and-coming artists or even established artists who are considering moving to digital artwork creation?

I love and admire all artists of all disciplines, and I would like to encourage my fellow artists to experiment with different mediums and definitely to try digital mediums. Digital art might become the dominant contemporary form of art very soon. Personally, I strongly believe that digital art is the best to express all aspects of the modern era. It is eco-responsible and it offers unlimited experimental possibilities.

Thank you so much for the interview Al. I really enjoyed talking to you.

To learn more about Eka’s intuitive art, readers can visit her website. Her works of art can also be seen on her various social media pages: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Discord: ekavibes#0697.