Bianca Nemelc

Bianca Nemelc is a New York City figurative painter whose work explores the connection between the female form and the natural world. Bianca’s work celebrates the brown figure and it is inspired by her investigative journey into her identity, paying homage to her heritage through the use of many hues of brown to portray the figures in her work. As a self-taught painter, Nemelc’s work celebrates the brown figure, lovingly nicknamed “ *Big Sigh* ” by imagining scenes for introspection and playfulness among lush, verdant landscapes and bodies of water.

Hello! Can you introduce yourself?

My name is Bianca Nemelc and I am an artist- specifically, a painter.

What does your practice consist of? What does a normal day at your space/studio look like? 

I would describe my practice as equal parts peaceful and chaotic depending on the deadline. I really look forward to the ritual of the morning because it allows me to be present in the world. It’s very easy to lose track of time and space while working and so part of my practice is just being. I put on some music, stretch, take a stroll with my dog to the coffee shop and get my usual iced tea. The work comes naturally to me once I’m in the groove - I can paint for hours on end without coming out for air, so a lot of my time is actually spent lost in thought while I’m working. Thoughts about colours and compositions, thoughts about the world, thoughts about everything and nothing all at once.

If you can trace it back in time, how did your practice begin? What was that first gesture or impulse?

My first intentional gestures were on a small little notebook as a teenager. I used to draw myself in the mirror as a way of understanding how to fit into my physical self during such an awkward time. This practice felt very natural to me and I think my personal love affair with the body and how it moves was born out of simply sitting and observing and drawing it.

Can you share a personal story or experience of yourself initiating a creative process and how your hands played a crucial role? 

My hands are my most important tools because they bring life to the canvas by conveying all of the ideas in my mind. When I’m playing with an idea for a new painting, the movement has an important role in the process. I spend a lot of time in the mirror making shapes with my body to get a feel for the composition of a figure, sometimes this involves stretching and bending or just letting intuitive movement guide me. My hands take over the process by creating sketches which will eventually become the artworks on canvas.

How does a slow and reflective approach to your craft impact the final outcome of your work?

This is something I’m continuously learning. Slow movement has been a huge part of the work I am currently focusing on, and it’s very intentional. I spent many years doing things a certain way and am now trying a new approach which requires me to step back more. The word that comes to mind is freedom. Going slowly allows me to get to know my paintings on a more intimate level and leaves room for conversation between myself and the painting. 

How much is your creativity influenced by the community around you?

I’m influenced very heavily by my family. I love the passing down of stories and oral histories because they help me navigate my own place. I find that this happens most often while breaking bread or in the kitchen while someone cooks. This inspires me deeply, I feel like feeding someone with a meal made from your own hands is the highest form of art and community. Being nourished with food and storytelling is a form of collaboration because I get to bring that back with me into the studio and see how those moments manifest in my practice.  

What advice would you offer to people who want to deepen their creativity through manual practices in their everyday lives?

Find beauty in everyday tasks, do them in a way that makes them beautiful to you, and don’t stop. I think that when things are done with the intention to make it different than it was when you first started, and you continue to put this into action, you start to understand the practice of creativity. It’s a never ending journey of practising how to leave your mark.

Thanks for reading. You can follow Bianca’s practice and research on Instagram.