Kathrin Honesta’s art is rooted firmly in the expression of who she staunchly is and what she honestly relates to. Kathrin brings forth images both digitally as well as through ink and paper that capture airy whimsical moments that make you smile. There is a warmth to Kathrin’s work that is contagious – the odes to nature, the rosy cheeks, the references to seasons, the moons, the planets – it is all so imaginative and free. Kathrin’s character is so pervasive through her art that after viewing a few of her works, you feel like old friends. It is so quite pleasing that simplicity still holds esteem in the art world and it was a real pleasure interviewing an artist that can produce unmistakable “SOUL” through simplicity.
“On drawing women, like I said before, my art is a way to express myself. I draw out my …”
Please tell us a little about yourself – your childhood, siblings, where you grew up, what you liked as a child, strange thoughts as a child/now, unique attributes, where you live now, etc.?
I was born and raised in Indonesia. I was born in Medan, North Sumatra and only moved to Jakarta when I was 13 years old. I have stayed in Jakarta for about 8 years now.
As a child, I was always very drawn to stories and drawings. I drew comics on pieces of A4 papers, I would clip those papers together and make a view series of different comic titles. Sometimes, I would do collages and lay them out as a magazine pages. This was always my favorite entertainment as a child. Give me pencils and papers and I would stay quiet for hours transported into my own world.
How do you describe your form of art and what tools do you primarily use?
Most of my art is digitally drawn, I use Photoshop for most of my works. But I really like to draw with ink pen on paper. I would love to explore more mediums, but currently those tools are what I use.
What does your art mean to you?
My art for me is a way to express myself. It’s like my voice to the outside world – for people to see and hear. In some personal illustrations, I draw out my thoughts and feelings. Sharing those illustrations makes me feel very vulnerable yet I feel that it is a necessity. I have mixed feelings every time I put my art out there.
What is your view/opinion on art world in general these days?
Most of the time, it’s really great. I feel that it’s easier to connect to audiences and share art nowadays because of the current social media era. It is not like it was back then – people had to be curated by curators from art galleries to be discovered. Through social media, we can connect to the art community and possibly collaborate and/or encourage others. The possibilities are endless now in the art world and that is what is so exciting about it.
Which artists do you look up to the most?
There are so many! Maurice Sendak, Edward Gorey, Isabelle Arsenault, Lisk Feng, Victo Ngai, Carson Ellis… The list can go on, but those are just a few names whose works I really, really admire & love.
Your images portray women in a whimsical but powerful way, how did you create this unique style and why are you pulled to create images of this manner?
I think my style evolves from time-to-time. I don’t really know exactly how it appeared to be what it is now. It’s just something that I feel comfortable drawing at the moment – you’ll know what kind of textures, color pallets and moods you are about to draw automatically. I can say it’s more like an instinct for me.
On drawing women, like I said before, my art is a way to express myself. I draw out my thoughts and reflections. I guess that is why I draw women a lot, because I relate to women. It’s like I am drawing my inner self out.
What is the worst critique you have ever received about your work? What is the best compliment that you have received about your work?
Most of the time, the worst critique about my work comes from myself. Somehow I know that I haven’t reached “the-good-works” bar yet. I see all these great artists and story-tellers all around me and that always gives me the encouragement to push myself even more to do better work.
Even so, now and then I receive kind words from people in my inbox on how they can relate to my work. Some have said that the works bring comfort to them or they are inspired by it. Being able to touch or impact people in any little possible way truly reminds me of why I did what I did in the first place and it’s really, really encouraging.
Do you ever experience deja vu – where are you usually transported to when it happens?
Yes, I’ve experienced deja vu before, but it always happened in some unexpected moments. However it doesn’t happen that often and mostly it was just very random. Nothing really memorable and special in any way.
Since Style.No.Chaser is a men’s lifestyle magazine, what attributes/items/clothing /etc. do you think define a man?
I think what defines a man comes from the inside. Respecting women is one quality that a man should have. A man should be able to take lead but show gentleness at the same time. Also, a good heart is really important too. All these qualities might seem very cliché, but I believe that is what really matters. If a man lacks these qualities, I think no matter how great he looks on the outside, he will still be a huge turn-off.
What is your personal life philosophy?
My personal philosophy is hugely inspired by my Christian faith, which are two very simple things: Love God and Love People. My life principle and my heart revolves around those two core things that I strive to accomplish in everything I do in my life.
What is your favorite color and why?
I love the shades of browns on leathers and also all the earth tones; like mustard, army green and maroon. I don’t know exactly why I am drawn to those sets of colors, but I guess there’s something warm and nostalgic about them that I really like.
Who dead or alive, celebrity or not, artist or not, would you like to go on a two-week road trip with and why?
I think it’s going to be my dad, because I’ve missed him so much and there’s a lot to catch up with him for these past two years.
What type of music do you listen to (if at all) when working?
I (kind of) listen to all kind of music when I work. Because the thing is, it doesn’t really matter. After I go into my work focus zone, the music fades away by itself. I don’t realize what I am listening to anymore and sometimes it will stay that way for hours.
But in the beginning, I really like to listen to very mellow acoustic types of songs like Sondre Lerche, Kings of Conveniences, Daniella Andrade or Freedom Fry.
How can people learn more about (or buy) your current and upcoming works?
I am the most active on my instagram (@kathrinhonestaa), I update mostly about my works, WIP and sketches there. Another place is Behance and my Tumblr
Shops: Society6 and Madison.com
