During this year’s Art Basel Miami, Her Clique unveils their artist collaboration featuring works by the Swiss-born and LA-based artist BLANDA. Her Clique, founded by Iza Depczyk, focuses on the three main pillars — promoting women artists, offering art at a more accessible price point, and supporting nonprofit organizations — the site features a new artist monthly, whose work has been commissioned especially for the platform.
Depczyk chose to reappropriate the term “clique” with the aim for Her Clique to become an all-inclusive hub for artists and arts patrons. Along with opening up the collecting market to a wider audience with lower pricing, each collaboration contributes a portion of the proceeds to a charity, always chosen by the artists.
Depczyk interviewed BLANDA to discuss her practice, what inspires her, and about the series which she created for the collaboration with Her Clique.
What about Her Clique’s mission is most significant to your life and practice?
The notion of supporting each other as women whilst also supporting our communities through non-profit organizations is a concept I feel very drawn to. I make most of my decisions based on gut instinct and when we first spoke, Iza, I instantly felt a kinship with you and what you do. Teaming up with Her Clique also feels like an organic match as my work has a very feminine and intuitive approach and contains a lot of my own inner work of coming into my female power.
Could you tell us a little bit about these series of paintings and drawings you created for our collaboration? What inspired you when creating this body of work?
I am very interested in work that comes from a deeper creative source that we can tap into. I got really into the concept of flow state a few years ago, the ability of our brains to operate from an almost meditative place and how this not only enhances what we do but also how we do it. When I am connected like this, time collapses, I work very fast and usually step back after a few hours with no real idea of how I just did what I did. It’s almost as if I am letting go of control and what comes out of that is better than what I could have intellectually conceptualized. In that respect my recent work also serves as a kind of mirror, a Rorschach, of sorts. You will see in it whatever you need to see. I want to embrace the room for personal interpretation on the viewer’s end. The subject matter of my current work isn’t so solid because it comes from a more subconscious place. That is part of what I like about art, how we all connect to the same piece in very different ways.
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BLANDA (left to right), Full Moon / Long Forgotten Secrets / Nine Familiar Faces, 2021. Acrylic, oil, charcoal on wooden panel. Available only on HerClique.com.
Your background is in graphic design. How has this impacted your craft and how did your passion and interest evolve to drawing and painting?
What’s interesting about my Graphic Design degree is that I almost stumbled upon it by chance. I had graduated from a school in Zurich called “Lice Artistico” which is a Swiss/Italian school with a heavy focus on art and art history. Having grown up in an artistic family and gravitating towards creative work from an early age, I knew I wanted to steer into that direction further but I hadn’t worked out exactly what that would look like for me. I applied to college with the intention of majoring in painting or illustration but during my initial interview the head of the Graphic Design department took a liking to my portfolio and offered me a scholarship. I ended up really loving Graphic Design as it offered a different take on creative work but also still allowed me to incorporate drawing and painting. But whilst I am trained in Graphic Design it is also worth mentioning that I left that field and the corporate world a decade ago to completely focus on my work as an artist.
What’s the medium you feel most comfortable with, and which is one you’d like to explore?
It’s in constant flux, I used to do a lot of collage work and printmaking. A few years ago I was very focused on making ink drawings but painted larger canvas pieces and murals every now and then and right now I am translating a completely different body of drawings into oil paintings. I would love to dive deeper into different painting techniques.
You’ve had many successful brand collaborations from AG Jeans to Montblanc - do you approach brand / commercial projects differently in terms of your creative process?
My collaborative work is always based on my personal work at the time. In that sense the collaborations evolve as my own work does. It’s a play between what I am creating in the studio with no real boundaries and how to then shift some of that work into a more commercial framework without losing its integrity. I also love the aspect of working with others and how their perspective widens the realm of what I can come up with on my own.
BLANDA, The Subtle Body, 2021. Acrylic, oil, charcoal on wooden panel. Available only on HerClique.com.
Who is your muse?
My husband, Simon Spurr. When I look at myself through his eyes I see myself in my full power and I know he feels the same the other way around. I mean this in the least co-dependent way possible He is the person whose taste and style I trust the most and whatever I work on, he is the one I discuss everything with.
Who are some of your favorite artists?
I have always felt an affinity for the paintings of Swiss post-impressionist artist Ferdinand Hodler. His figurative paintings and murals evoke a sense of subtle spirituality that I feel very drawn to. I gravitate towards art that triggers an emotional response. I can’t rationally explain why I feel moved when standing in front of a Rothko or Cy Twombly painting, just like I can’t rationalize why I fall in love with someone. Some contemporary artists I’m really into are Ruby Neri, Robin F. Williams, Salman Toor, Anastasia Bay, Anna Koak, Andy Dixon, Maja Ruz, Nadine Cluvie, Grant Levy-Lucero, Justin John Greene and Alison Blickle.
Who are some of your favorite artists?
I have always felt an affinity for the paintings of Swiss post-impressionist artist Ferdinand Hodler. His figurative paintings and murals evoke a sense of subtle spirituality that I feel very drawn to. I gravitate towards art that triggers an emotional response. I can’t rationally explain why I feel moved when standing in front of a Rothko or Cy Twombly painting, just like I can’t rationalize why I fall in love with someone. Some contemporary artists I’m really into are Ruby Neri, Robin F. Williams, Salman Toor, Anastasia Bay, Anna Koak, Andy Dixon, Maja Ruz, Nadine Cluvie, Grant Levy-Lucero, Justin John Greene and Alison Blickle.
BLANDA in her studio.
Do you think contemporary artists have to be to an extent digital influencers?
Not at all. I think social media is an excellent platform to share, show (and sell) work as well as connect with other creatives but it is by no means a necessity. It is a tool that you can use or not.
As you know, each artist gets to pick the charity she would like to donate to partial sales proceeds from the collaboration. Could you tell us why you chose Art of Elysium?
I wanted to support an organization that I know and trust and can fully stand behind. I worked with Art of Elysium a couple of years ago and I love their message and service. I also absolutely adore the organization’s founder, Jennifer Howell. Creative areas are usually the first ones to get cut when budgets get tight, disregarding the fact that these forms of creative expression are so inherent to us as human beings and can provide avenues of healing and strengthen connectedness and community. Art of Elysium makes sure that people have access to that.
Visit our online showroom HERE to view and purchase the works.