Hi everyone! Yes, the interview section is back! 🙂 I know that it’s one of your favourite sections, and this time I want to introduce you to a fantastic painter whose work I discovered very recently. She was kind enough to welcome me into her studio and talk to me about her artistic career as well as showing me some of her works. Hope you like it!
When was your first contact with art or when you knew that you wanted to become an artist?
Since my childhood, I have always felt an inclination towards art, especially towards drawing and that motivated me to enrol in painting classes from an early age, I liked it a lot and wanted to continue learning, in the end I decided to enter the Escuela de Artes y Oficios (School of Arts and Crafts), where for five years, I explored various disciplines, the one that interested me most at that time was sculpture, working with volume and although I enjoyed sculpture, my true passion was always painting.
The beginning of my professional career was somewhat coincidental. While I was working as a set designer making sets for the cinema, a group of friends had a studio and we designed some decorative items and small furniture, we showed them in stores, in a folder with photos of our work, in which I included some of my personal drawings. A shop owner took a particular interest in my drawings, marking the beginning of my first sales, exhibitions and collaborations, such as creating designs for Siboney cafes for several years.
These first commissions and sales encouraged me to progressively leave my other jobs to try to dedicate myself completely to my artistic career, and I am grateful for the opportunities that arose, especially thanks to the store that valued my drawings at the beginning of my career.
Did you like working with cinema?
Yes, I enjoyed it, but it was quite a demanding job for me. My role as a set designer involved the creation and arrangement of sets, I learned many interesting things, but the constant stress due to timing and the very long days made it exhaustive. On the one hand, I was advancing in my set designer career, but I was never going to be able to do what I really wanted, which was to paint, I felt that dedicating time to film was a detour. What really made me enjoy was working on my own ideas in the studio. It was at this moment when I decided to take a turn and focus on my artistic career.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find my inspiration mainly in my life and personal experiences. My creative process begins by exploring memories from my childhood and then evolves as my works reflect my growth and development over time. The situations and experiences that I go through are captured in my paintings in a quite organic way. Although it is not something I intentionally pursue, over time I have noticed that my work acts as a visual reflection of my own personal narrative.
Do you think your work can be divided into phases?
Yes, I definitely consider that my work can be divided into different stages. Each artistic period reflects not only my evolution as an artist, but also my personal development and the influences I have experienced over time. From my first works focused on portraying childhood, through a more dramatic phase in the representation of children, to the incorporation of the female figure and the exploration of more complex themes, each stage has its own history and meaning. These phases are not only evident in the themes I address, but also in the technical and stylistic changes I have experienced throughout my artistic career.
The Gagged and Bound Women caught my attention…
The Bound Women series represents a more challenging and reflective artistic process in my career. I use the visual metaphor of bound and gagged women to explore the personal barriers and struggles in my life. (image 2)
Although the series may seem to have a fairly strong sexual charge, it does not focus on that, but instead seeks to provoke reflection on inner strength in the face of adversity and limitations.
Although there are some paintings in which you can see a touch of eroticism…
Yes, those works with a touch of eroticism represent an earlier stage. The erotic work emerges as an expression of liberation from previous ties, representing an act of disinhibition and the full acceptance and enjoyment of freedom as a woman. Through this series, I seek to convey the idea of breaking with imposed limitations, celebrating autonomy and the unrestricted expression of femininity.
Each work becomes an artistic manifestation of personal emancipation, where the representation of sensuality and intimacy becomes a symbol of a woman’s ability to explore and embrace her own freedom and pleasure. The erotic work is presented as an affirmation of one’s own identity and a joyful expression of feminine individuality at its finest.
Although now my focus has evolved towards exploring the topic of beauty and aesthetic pressure, addressing facial deformation as an expression of the constant search for perfection.
​ It is a process that is very internal to you, very intimate…
Yes, it is an extremely intimate and personal process for me. Despite this, I never use myself as a model. I am quite reserved, and I do not feel comfortable appearing in photos, both in my daily life and in my works. Although all the images I create are, in fact, representations of myself, I prefer to work behind the camera, capturing photos that I am drawn to and then use in my creative process.
Throughout my career, I have experimented with various means of expressing myself, from tied women to exploring gestures and facial expressions. Each series involves a process of search and obsession, where I spend a lot of time exploring themes that captivate me at that moment. Currently, I am in a pause phase, reflecting on what I want to address next. After a few very intense years of work, I feel the desire to embark on new creative explorations and see where they will take me.
What you said reminded me a lot of an interview I saw with Clarice Lispector, a Brazilian writer, from many years ago. She said that when the idea for the book came, she couldn’t stop, she had to write compulsively, but that when she finished the book, it was as if there had been a death there…
I completely understand that feeling. It’s something I experience especially with exhibitions. During the creation and preparation process, I invest a great deal of energy and dedication. When the moment of the exhibition finally arrives and everything culminates, there is a kind of rush, but afterwards an emptiness occurs. It is as if there was a kind of creative “death”, as the Brazilian writer mentioned. This transition from intensity to calm can be exhausting, as the emotional and creative delivery is significant. I suppose it is a common experience among many artists, since the creative process involves a deep investment of energy and emotions.
You have said that you take photographs for the base, but have you ever thought about using photography as the media?
No, I have not considered using photography directly in my digital works. Although I have taken photography courses and participated in workshops, I do not consider myself skilled in photography itself. I use photographs as the basis for my work in Photoshop (images 4 and 5), where I create and manipulate images according to my artistic vision. This practice arose casually, initially experimenting with videos and then moving towards photos. Over time, I have developed and refined this technique, obtaining results that I really like and although I have tried to bring these images to painting, I do not enjoy the process because I feel a certain restriction in my artistic expression. My training and preference as a painter make me feel coerced when I try to translate these self-created images in Photoshop onto canvas. I found that the images alone are strong enough and do not require painting. Ultimately, this is another way of working on my painting, through Photoshop, and I find it to be a valid and rewarding way of artistic expression. I see no reason to limit myself in my work; I want to enjoy the process and share what I think is worth showing.
At least from the perspective of the public, there is a very strong influence within expressionism.
Yes, a lot.
But is there any other artistic branch that has influenced you or just expressionism?
Yes, there are definitely other artistic branches that have had a strong influence on my work, besides expressionism. As you mentioned, English Expressionism, with artists like Lucian Freud and Paula Rego, has been a big inspiration. I also find influence in German expressionism. Furthermore, I have closely followed the work of Belgian painters for several years, which has influenced my artistic perspective.
Apart from painting, other disciplines such as video and photography also play a crucial role in my creative process. I am inspired by various art forms, including music and film. The variety of influences that come from different mediums enriches my work and contributes to the diversity and depth of my artistic expression. But without a doubt my years in London left a deep mark on me.
You absorbed it there, and you internalized it until you incorporated it into your work…
Yes, I assimilated the influence of expressionism while living in London, but the significant change in my work came when I switched from using gouache and watercolour to oil painting. This sudden and surprising change marked an important transition in my artistic approach. Originally, my work was more graphic, but by incorporating oil painting, I experienced a transformation that led me to explore the expressionist line in a deeper way. Since then, I have continued to develop this new direction in my work, largely leaving aside the original graphic style, unless for specific commissions.
Is there any other branch of art, or from when you were somewhere else, that you assimilated?
​ Yes, during my stay in New York, I was impressed by video art, especially works like those of Bill Viola, which left a significant mark on my artistic perception. However, these influences are quite diverse and not always directly related to my work. Throughout my experience, I have also been impacted by photography exhibitions, some of which stand out in my memory.
The strongest and most emotional influence originated during my time in London, where I was uniquely moved by the exhibitions. This city was one of the few places where I came away really excited from an exhibition, something that rarely happens to me. My demands in my field make it difficult for me to find exhibitions that easily impact me, but some works, like those of Paula Rego, have managed to resonate deeply with me.
Lived experiences have also been an influential factor, especially during my time in New York, which was a challenging period. All these influences, along with personal experiences, converge in my work, contributing to its evolution and enriching my artistic expression. After all these experiences, changes always occur in my work.
I imagine that of course you don’t realize at the moment what you are going to do…
Not quite. Sometimes, for example, the idea of anticipating a project is complicated. I prefer to explain and analyse what I have done after creating the work. My process is fluid and evolves as I work, and although I may have certain elements in mind, complete clarity about what I want to achieve only emerges upon completion of the piece or series of pieces.
I know you’ve done some collaboration with Vogue… what was that like? Because well, it’s a fashion magazine…
My first contacts with Vogue were really exciting and a great opportunity for me as an artist. In 2018, an editor from the Vogue Germany team contacted me through social media to ask if I would be interested in collaborating on a project for the German digital edition. Her idea was to publish an erotic story in chapters. They had a writer, and they were looking for a person to do the illustrations, they told me that they had been following my work for a while and that it suited them, they asked me if I was available, everything seemed perfect to me and of course I accepted.
My collaboration consisted of illustrating a periodic section of the magazine in which the Berlin writer Carmen Butger developed an erotic story. It started in 2018 and 13 chapters were published until 2020. Carmen wrote a text, the editor sent it to me, and I created one or more images, then we chose the one we liked the most and together we gave the approval.
In 2023 I also had the opportunity to collaborate with Vogue England. I was contacted from London to illustrate an article by Alexa Chung about endometriosis (image 6). The article had a lot of impact and was finally published in almost all editions of Vogue in Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Spain… Working for them is a very interesting and rewarding experience for me.
It’s beautiful… I love it!
Thanks a lot!! It’s really exciting when things like this happen. Alexa Chung is a model that I have always followed and really like so she is amazing and the fact that she shared my work was amazing to me. I also had similar experiences in New York, when the singer Cat Power showed interest in buying one of my works and shared it on Instagram it was incredible and especially because she was someone I deeply admire, I love her music.
These experiences are motivating and drive me to continue working, especially in times when fatigue or demotivation may appear.
Do you feel like you need a vacation?
Yes, the truth is that I feel the need to take a vacation, but even when I try to rest, I have a hard time enjoying my free time. If I’m not working, sometimes I feel like I’m wasting my time.
I can imagine, when a person has a creative mind, it is difficult to stop…
The truth is that although I am constantly immersed in projects and I don’t stop working on different things, I have to confess that lately it has been difficult for me to come to the studio and immerse myself in the creative routine.
I see that here in your studio, you have a lot of works from different periods, books and things that have just been started… I love the atmosphere… but the thing that has caught my attention the most are the mirrors… I have seen at least four…
Yes, it’s correct. This studio is my creative refuge, and here you find works that cover various stages of my career, especially those that I have hanging, which are works that I do not want to part with, they are some of those that have marked my different stages.
Regarding mirrors, they are an essential tool for me, they allow me to work and review the canvas through them. Mirrors give me a fresh perspective, something I discovered at a young age when I worked at school at night. Looking at my work through them allows me to see my work from another perspective, identifying errors and improving the quality of the painting. It is a practice that I have been doing innately since my time as a student.
And what do you say about when you are painting a work that you get tired, because obviously you are there intensely… do you need to change paintings, or do you stay in one until the end?
​ I understand that sometimes, during the creative process when you immerse yourself so much in a work, it is very difficult for me to stop before the freshness of the work is exhausted and this intensity is the reason for ruining paintings that could have had a more leisurely approach. Despite the logic of switching to another project before exhausting a session or stopping it, the temptation to squeeze every frame is very strong. As you review photos of the process, you realize that stopping at the right moment could significantly improve the final result. This dilemma between creative impulse and the wisdom of knowing when to stop is a challenging but essential part of the creative process. If I hadn’t ruined so many paintings throughout my career, I would never have advanced to the point I am at now.
And when you change, do you move on to something different? Are you still doing something similar?
Normally, when I’m immersed in a project, I follow a continuous theme. Right now, I’m mainly focused on representing women. However, sometimes, I may receive commissions or projects that allow me to break away from that theme a bit and explore something different. These projects outside of my main line are also an opportunity to vary and refresh my approach. When I start a work, I usually work on several paintings over several days, since oil does not allow me to tackle everything in a single session. This allows me to alternate between different pieces, leaving one when it is complete and moving on to another. It’s part of my work process.
For example, these ones that are there, there are some of them that look super sensual, but they are faces… some even look at us… they have their eyes closed… or it just a neck… but they convey much more sensuality than a nude… and when I visited an exhibition of your work, I have seen a torso that you painted and that it was the least sensual painting in the entire exhibition… (images 8, 9 and 10)
Yes, in the torso series, there are a variety of approaches. In the specific case you mention, my intention when working with such specific body parts, such as breasts, is to avoid making it too obvious. I like to approach these areas more painterly, focusing on volume and colour rather than emotionally loading them as I would with a face. Each painting has its own dynamic, and some seek to convey sensuality in a more subtle way. The painting you mention, in particular, appealed to me because of the opportunity to explore volume and colour without adding obvious emotional charge. There are also paintings that, in some inexplicable way, have a special magic. I can’t completely control this creative process, but they are the paintings that require the least sessions and usually have something unique. Although what I perceive may not coincide with the interpretation of the viewers, that enriches the diversity of interpretations and appreciations of my work.
Have you ever sold one that you said, “I would like to have kept this one”?
Yes, there was a time when I sold a painting and later regretted it. That void was very important because that day I decided that I could not part with certain works that are very important to me, although it may sound strange, I have my own private collection.
​I asked because I know what happens to some people when they regret it and buy their work back… it happened, for example, with Berthe Morisot…
I imagine that it has happened to many people, I was close to it once, I understand it perfectly.
You work with very varied sizes… these are small, but that one… it is so beautiful… and it is huge! And I love that it’s like… unfinished. (image 12)
Yes, sizes vary considerably. The painting you mention is really large and I painted it during confinement as part of an international project in which I participated. The project consisted of the artists having to make a mural on a wall in the place where they spent the confinement, the process was recorded in time-lapse and the videos were shared. I cut a piece of fabric large enough to cover the entire wall and worked on it. I did two, initially, I started by doing a portrait of a painter and friend Tim Behrens who had passed away and whom I admired, he was a fascinating, very British character.
Then I covered the wall again and painted the woman’s face that is hanging there.
I love it…
It’s interesting how the perception of a work can vary. At first, I didn’t like this painting. Even during my last solo exhibition at Kiosco Alfonso, when they suggested taking it, I hesitated. However, it turned out to be a crowd favourite. Although it doesn’t have the same appeal for me, over time I have grown more fond of it.
I also like this one…
It was one of the first ones I painted, along with the one with the ropes on the breasts. There are certain paintings that I need to keep in view, since they have marked the beginning of a series. Although over time I get tired and change them, for now, I like to have them in sight.
It’s just that it caught my attention when I entered more than that one, it’s kind of sadder…
It’s true, this one has a more melancholic atmosphere. It is the first when I began to explore the representation of women, reflecting a feeling of pain. Over time, the theme of women in my works evolved into more challenging representations.
and that one with the girl… (image 13)
This was a piece I initially created as a digital collage using photos and Photoshop. After completing the work that way, I decided to take it to painting. Although the resulting painting works, I notice that I lose some of my distinctive brushwork on the face. The image itself has power, especially through the eyes, but the digital version retains a stronger visual impact.
Yes, it is much more powerful this way… and it still has the mark of your work… it is known that it is yours… Well, one last question… are you working on a project now? Is there an exhibition planned for this year, where we could enjoy your work live?
This year, I am working on several exhibitions, the most recent a group exhibition with my gallery in Munich, scheduled for April and planning an individual exhibition in the same gallery for 2025. Apart from that, I am in several projects but still a surprise.
For further information on Yolanda Dorda’s work:
All the images of the paintings were kindly provided by the artist.
Women'n Art 
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