What does TIPTOE look like through the eyes of an artist?
Constantly in search of inspiration, we have given artists carte blanche to appropriate our pieces in their universe. This is a way to mix two creative fields and discover TIPTOE from a different perspective. Meet Luzea, a Catalan artist who explores different representations of women and the subtlety of their gestures.
Can you introduce yourself?
Sure, I am a Catalan artist based in Barcelona, Spain, and my work seeks to portray ethereal female beings, who feel and express themselves with their mere presence and subtleness of gestures. Aesthetically, my art style is very much influenced by Les Fauves artists, Henri Matisse as the greatest master, and the visual codes of digital imaginary and modern illustration. I’m always looking for sophistication in my artwork’s compositions, shapes and colours.
What is your artistic journey?
My artistic journey is probably unusual for a professional artist. I have been painting all my life for as long as I can remember but I never attended art school. In fact, I graduated in Advertising and Public Relations and to date I have worked in communication agencies for many brands. So besides being an artist I do have another career and I try to balance both activities, both which I love.
So, on my journey as a professional artist, it began about three years ago when the global pandemic hit us and I had to slow down the hectic lifestyle I was leading. This gave me the opportunity to reconnect with my artwork and develop it steadily. I found in painting my most intimate form of expression and discovered my life’s purpose: to live to create. Sharing my art and seeing how it inspires so many people is the most rewarding thing I have ever done.
How would you describe your creative world?
A whole universe of its own. I would say that femininity, length, block colors and the contrast of light are my core signatures. I’m particularly attracted to pastel colours and I’m pretty obsessed with observing female facial features and capturing them in my work with unique visual codes that make Luzea recognisable.
Where do you draw your inspiration from on a daily basis?
On a daily basis, I am mostly guided by my own feelings and intuition. I am a kind of artist who feels very inspired simply by looking at a blank canvas. It is then, faced with the moment of creation, that my imagination flies. That’s why I often like to use a freehand technique and just trust my intuition while creating. If what I’ve created doesn’t work, I start again, no bitterness, it’s just my learning path and you never stop learning.
Why did you accept this project with TIPTOE? Tell us how you worked on the LOU stool?
I immediately fell in love when I discovered TIPTOE and agreed to work with the brand because we share similar values and aesthetics. Working on the LOU stool was quite a challenge, as I had never painted on wood before. Fortunately I managed to paint on it and I am very satisfied with the final result. The painting I composed was inspired by the round shape of the stool. I wanted my figures to embrace and, at the same time, to accentuate this embrace through the round “canvas” on which they were painted on, so I exaggerated the roundness of the arms on the main figure to convey the feeling in a more profound way.
What is your vision of TIPTOE?
I see TIPTOE as a brand that is going in the right direction of how today’s companies should behave and do business: being sustainable, making durable products and based on collaboration between good professionals.
Do you have a recent creative discovery to share with us?
I just discovered that I love film making, so every day is a new discovery. As Anaïs Nin said “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage”. Be courageous and expand yourself!
