10 Questions with RUNA (aka Rute Norte)

“One's work is a way of keeping a diary” – said Picasso. The paintings reflect passing episodes. Lives and experiences expressed on canvas, with paints and brushes. RUNA's paintings can either refer to an episode that took place on a trip – a memory – or they can talk about food, or the cat that appeared on the roof. Or be simple ideas and concepts that pass in the moment. As an artist-traveller, in which she writes travel chronicles accompanied by photos, she tells a story through this trimediality: text, photography and painting. She treads a territory that is simultaneously real and invented, and crosses several borders between languages. This territory is an intimate world, where the interpretation of reality is done in a subjective, personal and unique way. There are no rules and it's the experience that counts. It is an authentic experience, an experience in situ. This experience is physical and palpable - it is real, when it comes to photographs and text, in travel chronicles. But it is total imagination in the plastic discourse. Here, inner experience, self-knowledge, a magical world is revealed. In this new pictorial existence, reality is rethought and converted, and two worlds intersect, the exterior and the interior, imbued with memory. The plastic composition thus incorporates a dense universe of visual, sensorial and cultural references, through memory and gaze, in this trajectory through the world and through her inner self.

Currently, RUNA has been working in a new medial context, on large-format canvases, treating the pictorial matter in her paintings in order to achieve relief effects. The artist has multiple interests, with no conscious boundaries between them, converging on a broad artistic practice in thematic terms. In addition to themes related to her individuality, death and the ephemerality of life, she also deals with concepts in the field of social and environmental sustainability, which are incorporated into her approach to art from a poetic perspective. Her works present a critical view of social and environmental issues using figures, colours and textures in her paintings to portray, through visual allegories, her thoughts on various subjects. From a deep curiosity with the world and a critical involvement with it, the artist dialogues with art as a culture of activism in search of social transformation.

In an intuitive style of painting and powerful gestures, with explosions of colour, quite diverse and without unification worries, careful consideration lives side by side with spontaneity. If her practice is often based on unconscious drawings, in whims and improvisations, the calculated and precise composition contrasts with the spontaneous brushstroke. RUNA has been switching from acrylic to oil – oil painting generally requires a slower process – paving the way for an increasingly dense plastic universe.

RUNA occasionally uses musical references in her paintings, sparking a dialogue between the two, painting and music, as a way of expressing or guiding an underlying idea - be it introspection, vivacity, impetus, magnificence - and, similarly to what happens in music, the artist seeks to maintain an open approach to what can function as the constitutive parts of a pictorial work, by combining various types and levels of elements. She is interested in contrasts, juxtapositions and completely opposite perspectives - in colour, abstract form, line, pattern, brush marks, geometry, transparencies, impasto and relief, or flatness - because she believes that there are elements that manifest around a common pictorial structure and that many unconscious forces deserve to be explored.

RUNA lives and works in Lisbon, Portugal. She is now finishing a Master’s Degree in Painting, at Fine Arts Faculty, University of Lisbon.

www.rutenorte.com | @rute_norte

Going Far, Acrylic, oil and oil stick on unstretched canvas, 91 x 126 cm (36 x 49,6 in), 2022 © RUNA

INTERVIEW

First of all, why are you an artist, and when did you first decide to become one?

I believe that no one becomes an artist – one is born an artist. The question then is to make a professional career as such. This is the big challenge; a challenge that is timeless, that is, over the centuries there have always been artists who stubbornly pursued their vocational path, struggling with all kinds of financial difficulties. And currently, from what I understand, from what I read and hear from other artists, most see the need to work in other areas, sometimes not related to the arts, to maintain financial stability. The vocation is born with the person, who as a child begins to stand out at school for his artistic skills, while showing particular interest in recreational activities linked to the arts. From the age of three, pots of paint were made available to me in abundance, still in pre-school, and all of us – children – were seated at rows of tables arranged side by side, outside, in a patio, so we could paint and dirty everything at ease. At that age we didn't even use brushes. I painted with my fingers and hands – hence the need to put the children on an outside patio, trying to minimize the mess.
Then the second question arises: to maintain the interest and the relish – the pleasure – in painting. All children paint in school, however, you quickly realize which ones really like it, and who therefore never stop doing it throughout their lives; and the other children, who with time will also find their vocational path, in other areas. It wasn't really my decision, therefore. This vein was born with me, it was put into practice from an early age, and I haven't stopped since. I always had paints available at home. There are children who ask for toys (today they ask for computer games!), I asked for paints. At the age of 13 I won my first competition, at school, to paint a mural in one of the school pavilions. Over the years, I have made more than thirty exhibitions, both individual and collective. I never stopped painting.
To conclude: the affirmation and consolidation as an artist is made over the years. Throughout the person's life.

What is your personal aim as an artist?

I want to grow artistically and professionally, and share my art in different countries. And through this, get recognition of my work and artistic style. It is increasingly difficult to maintain a uniqueness in the work of each artist. We are currently eight billion humans on the planet. We are many. Maintaining a single approach is not always feasible. It remains for us (and for me) to be genuine and look for that uniqueness.
Furthermore, I would like to increase people's interest and participation in the arts. Erudite art has traditionally been consumed by an erudite public (this is also linked to the financial issue) but with the evolution of humanity, that is: with the growing cultural degree of civilizations, I hope that it extends to everyone, whether people linked to the arts or not, whether or not they technically understand these matters.

And burning for it, Oil and collages of the painting “Trespassing Forbidden Ways” on unstretched canvas, 210 x 170 cm (82,6 x 67 in), 2022 © RUNA

And how would you define yourself as an artist today?

I have been particularly influenced by my travels, and I have been emphasizing this connection – between painting and travel – in the presentation I make of myself, namely on social media and in the interviews I give. I travel alone by bicycle around the world; some of these trips can be seen on my website www.rutenorte.com. The absorption of multiple cultures makes me understand the world from different perspectives – the world and consequently myself; and travelling alone, in a physically and psychologically demanding environment – by bicycle – makes me learn from the challenges, and this is inevitably reflected in my pictorial work. On another level, I also highlighted this link between painting and travel in my recent master's thesis. I am currently finishing my Master's Degree in Painting, at Fine Arts Faculty, University of Lisbon, and my thesis deals precisely with how the experience of a place influences the pictorial production of the artist-traveller, in the 21st century. In fact, human beings are constantly being altered by spaces and places, seeing their identity expand and enrich as these multiply. So I use my case to evaluate how being in a peculiar place affects artistic production, that is, how the work of the travelling artist is born and develops in this circumstance, as well as my particular way of transmitting ideas, thoughts and sensations, through a transfer to the plastic register. Soon this analysis will be able to be read in its entirety when my thesis is published.

Where do you get inspiration for your work?

One of the great inspirations was mentioned in the previous question – my travels around the world; otherwise, no artist is oblivious and undisturbed to what is happening around him. I believe that directly or indirectly, all of us artists are influenced by the world around us. Political and social issues are among my favourites. From the issues related to the excessive growth of the human population - and having travelled the world, and witnessed high levels of poverty, particularly in Africa and Asia, this has greatly influenced my perspective; to issues related to animal and environmental protection; the empowerment of women, or the conservation of historical heritage. In fact, I think that an artist doesn't need inspiration, since everything is in front of him and he just needs to grab it. I never had any blocks, for example. Sometimes I hear about artists who interrupted their activity for a certain period of time, because they didn't feel inspired, because they had some kind of block. Until today this has never happened to me. You never know what the future holds, but I believe that lack of inspiration will not be a reason for me to stop painting. Probably sickness. Certainly death.

Memento Mori - Remember you must die, Acrylic, oil and oil stick on unstretched canvas, 160 x 210 cm (63 x 82,6 in), 2022 © RUNA

What is your creative process like? And how did you evolve this way of working?

Regarding technical aspects, I usually use acrylic on the first layer, and oil on the following ones. Complement with oil pastel and oil stick. Sometimes I draw in pencil directly on the canvas, before starting to paint; other times I go directly to brush strokes, applying paint - on canvas or paper - with a brush, without any previous sketch. I rarely paint with spatulas. The painting is built with successive layers. Occasionally the first and only layer is enough. It's rare but it happens. During the paintings I can carry out abundant studies before moving on, before taking any decisive step, and I use digital media for planning.
I don't always choose colours. Without looking, I pick up a tube of paint at random from inside the paint box. The colour that comes, is the one that will be used. But the colour that comes defines which point of the picture is painted. If it comes the blue, maybe it's the left corner. If it comes the yellow, maybe paint the top. Here is an intuitive process. All colours are beautiful, and they understand each other, it is the human eye that gives them more value or not. And there are a lot of human eyes.
Currently, as I mention in my artist statement, I have been working on a new medial context, on large-format canvases, treating the pictorial matter in my paintings in order to achieve relief effects. This search has been evident since I was 20 years old, where materiality is present in the paintings, namely through the use of sand and collages. Currently I have been working with lighter materials, namely polyvinyl acetate. This evolution was allowed by my new studio, since 2021, due to its larger dimensions.

What aspect of your work do you pay particular attention to?

I pay particular attention to the plasticity of the painting. The formal search is also evident, and I would say that it is intuitive or almost unconscious, however the options linked to plasticity totally modify a work, and I take them - these options - in a very conscious and premeditated way. The use of oil paints, with the implicit delay in drying and the consequent possibility of retouching or emphasizing some detail, or the use of substances such as wax or polyvinyl acetate, reflect this concern.
The search for materiality in my works – the physical and tangible side of reality – has always been present, but it has taken on greater importance in recent times. I would still like to develop this area a lot, and I am far from what I intend to do, mainly due to space limitations.

Is there a piece you consider a "breakthrough" in your career?

An artist has several phases in his career, and I hope I still have a long way to go, so this “breakthrough” may still be coming. In what I have done so far, I can find several paintings that reveal a change in this path. The most recent is perhaps the first large-format painting I did: “Memento Mori – remember you must die”, in which I give a first twist to my usual style until then. It is the search for something more introspective and contained, certainly a reflection of the evolution of my life. The full awareness that the human being, in all his smallness and mortality, manages, however, in community, to devastate a planet, behaving as if he were immortal, oblivious to everything that surrounds him. And most of the time he does it innocently. We all do it. I feel an urge to stop and reflect, to calm this anxiety, affliction and acceleration in which humanity currently lives. Fortunately, it’s a topic that is already being discussed a lot, but I am not optimistic. As I wrote before, there are currently eight billion humans on the planet. According to United Nations estimates, in 2100 we will be eleven billion. And all of these people naturally struggle for a higher standard of living. Will technology really be able to solve all problems? Pollution, migration, the need for things like food, energy and water? In fact, this is the subject of another painting of mine: “Big Troubles are Coming”, also recent, also in large format. There are many points to be addressed in this matter - from the unbridled pursuit of profit by companies, with consequences such as the poisoning of waters, the deforestation of forests, the genetic manipulation to which animals are subjected, so that there is a rapid growth that allow feeding 8 billion humans, manipulations that cause painful health problems for animals.
Each of us can take up a cause and fight for it. I personally have dedicated myself to the cause of animal protection, and I have made efforts in this area to improve the treatment given to these, whether companion animals, wild animals, or farm animals for human consumption. Today I believe that everyone has seen the cages where these are raised – pigs, chickens, among others – where they can't even move. The body of animals cannot withstand the pressure that humans place on their rapid growth. For example, with rapid growth in the first days of life, most of these animals develop osteoporosis, breaking several bones until the time of their slaughter.
Many people prefer not to hear about these subjects, let alone see the images, they don't want to suffer, they prefer to remain ignorant. People feel that they are powerless and can do nothing, so they do not want to know, much less speak up and demand a change in legislation to prevent this type of exploitation. The growing disinterest and alienation of the populations is evident by the level of abstentions in the elections. In Portugal alone, in the last legislative elections, in 2022, half of the population did not go to vote. The title of a great film occurs to me: “The Silence of the Lambs”.

Big Troubles are Coming, Acrylic and oil pastel on unstretched canvas, 170 x 210 cm (67 x 82,6 in, 2022 © RUNA

What do you think about the art community and market? And how did your perception change over the last couple of years, due to the pandemic and NFT surge?

Regarding the artistic community, the first thing that comes to my mind is the constant state of emergency we live in – first the pandemic, and then a new threat in the form of war in Ukraine. Culture is a fragile sector in human life, and under some urgency it is immediately discarded, as we have seen during the pandemic. And this raises a fierce struggle for survival. But the artistic community is just like any other community, and if some fight (perhaps with each other), others support each other.

Regarding the market, it is known that the old tradition of buying and selling art through physical galleries is being renewed by the online market, and NFTs are revolutionizing it even more, with the legitimization of digital art by introducing the factor of authenticity. I have always sold my paintings in physical exhibitions: for years I only exhibited physically in galleries and cultural spaces. I created my website and joined social media – with painting – very recently, only in 2020. And it is evident from my CV (available on my website) that online exhibitions appear from 2021 onwards. Online exhibitions are undoubtedly a good way to publicize the work, there is an expansion of opportunities for dissemination and access to the works. Resisting this digital world I believe would not be wise. By exhibiting only physically, the public reached was much smaller than what I reach today, with all the means of virtual exhibition available: websites, social networks, virtual galleries, magazines. An entire online system was set up, which was greatly accentuated with the pandemic, and were created services with a lot of quality, online – this is the case of Al-Tiba9 itself, which is doing a work of merit by promoting artists, in a mix of physical and digital platforms.
This brings with it two other major advantages – in addition to international exposure, we have the issue of costs and time. Taking a plane costs money and takes up time. Now, with a few clicks on the computer, I can put my work on all continents, without leaving home.

But (there is always a “but”) – the reality is that, in the midst of all these advantages, nothing replaces a face-to-face exhibition – and I (I, precisely) am strongly disadvantaged by the fact that my works are not seen live, exactly by the question of plasticity that I mentioned earlier. A painting measuring two meters and a little, with all the texture present in my current works, is impossible to translate to a tiny photo on Instagram. All details are lost. Brushstrokes and tactility are lost. All magic disappears. The way I have tried to face this handicap is to show many and varied photos and videos with the details of the paintings, in order to give the closest possible visualization of the physicality of the work.

Now, regardless of whether the market is physical or online, we all know that it is often a game of money and power, and additionally there are many factors behind it that the artist cannot control or even interfere with. The only thing an artist must do is to be responsible for his creation and to present his work. This is crucial. The artist needs to maintain an assiduous rhythm of work, to be his own manager and to promote his work. Self-promotion has assumed an important role these days, and it is quite significant that, in art open calls, portfolios are less and less requested, but rather social networks and websites are, being the work evaluated through these means.

Unknowledge awareness - and the openness, Acrylic, oil and oil bar on unstretched canvas, 168 x 214 cm (66 x 84,2 in), 2022 © RUNA

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?

I am currently experimenting with new materials, new reliefs and textures. After finishing the master's degree, I would like to participate in certain artistic residencies. I want to continue to promote my work internationally, and if possible get a bigger studio. My studio is currently fairly comfortable: it allows me to work up to three canvases of two meters each, simultaneously, but with space restrictions. The ideal is to work two canvases of these dimensions, simultaneously. Which is clearly not enough, especially when I'm using oil, with long drying times. Sometimes it forces me to use acrylic to get quick drying times, so I can move faster and start new works. (Photos of my actual studio can be seen on my website and on my Instagram). Anyway, the small formats (A3 and A2), on paper, I believe are here to stay. It gives me great pleasure and freedom to paint on paper in these formats.

Regarding individual exhibitions, I gave priority to the master's degree (2020-2022), and that matter was temporarily put aside. I actually have new paintings for three or four solo exhibitions, depending on gallery size. The individual exhibition I did in 2021 (then in the first year of the master's degree) was supposed to have been held in March 2020, precisely when the pandemic and social isolation were declared. It ended up being postponed and carried out during the master's degree. I will soon have to start dealing with a new solo exhibition, with a selection of my paintings. Exhibiting, I confess, annoys me for all the associated logistics. For now I'm focused on painting, and not quite on exposing physically.

And lastly, what is one piece of advice you would give to an emerging artist?

Self-discipline and hard work. Relentlessly pursue the goals. It’s not a hobby, but a profession – a professional career that requires dedication, gusto, will and hard work. In the life of an artist, not everything is art. There are bureaucracies to deal with, things to load, orders to make, contacts to make, emails to exchange, photos to take. It requires great focus and dedication to keep everything running.

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