An Interview with Anikó Boda: on Philosophical Inspiration and Imaginary Realism.
Anikó Boda – Artists Feature – VAA Member of the Month October 2023
Hungarian contemporary artist, Anikó Boda, discusses finding focus, the philosophical creative process, and her recent successes.
Boda was born in 1973, Szeged, Hungary, and presently lives and works in Gödöllő and Budapest (Budapest Art Factory). She studied at the School of Visual Arts and The Art Students’ League in New York after graduating from the Medical University of Szeged in Hungary. Anikó Boda exhibited in one of the major institutions of figurative art, Museu Europeu d’ Art Modern, in Barcelona, as well as in New York, London, Prague, Budapest and at art fairs like the Volta Basel. In 2021 after the international portrait painting contest of the MEAM, she was chosen one of the best 400 portrait painters. In 2023 she was finalist in the New York-based International Art Renewal Center Salon Competition and her work was featured in the renowned American magazine ’Fine Art Connoisseaur’. She is also the winner of the 2023 Visual Artists Association Great Britain (VAA) International Exhibition and Scholarship Prize.
‘My work says – life around you is magical, enjoy it! ‘
When I open my eyes in the morning, I make notes on a piece of paper if I had a dream last night worth turning into a painting. When in the studio, my typical day starts with writing
emails and texts for marketing, and making necessary phone calls. This is a task I hate the
most, so I do it the first thing in the morning. If I do not do it, I have a guilty conscious while
painting. And also I know if I start to paint I’ll forget about everything (eating, drinking etc) let
alone phone calls and writing.
Then I start my favoirite part of the day – painting – a.k.a. continue where I stopped the previous day. In the meantime I think about the new works, preparing for the photoshoots in my head. During painting breaks I chat with my artist friends with whom I share the studio building with, collecting informaton and gossips of the art world. In the afternoon I discuss recent events in person or on the phone with my manager.
During painting I listen to podcasts and audiobooks, and keep gathering ideas for new works. Sometimes we do photoshoots, make videos, collect props. Twice a week I work out in the morning.
Since I’m a control-freak person who loves to plan everything, it was hard to accept that there
is no sure way of marketing yourself as an artist, and you have to be more spontaneous and
accept things as they come. One of my art marketing teachers told me – don’t worry, just do
it! If you keep doing it, something must happen!
What does a day in your life look like? What piece of advice has helped you most in your career?
My creative process starts with gathering interesting philosophical and psychological questions and ideas – I call them ‘theoretical breadcrumbs‘. I do this 24/7, even while sleeping. Then I forget 98% of them.
What remains in my head, starts to induce the ’ picture generator’ side of my brain. I work mainly in my head, like a theatre director. I imagine the scene and the background what is useful for my idea. Then I do the ’casting’ part, looking for models and props.
Next comes the photoshooting phase, where I make tons of pictures, or look up something on the internet. If it is a comissioned piece, I do sketches so my customers could also see what is in my head. Then I put everything together and paint it.
I do imaginary realism. My work says – life around you is magical, enjoy it!
‘I work mainly in my head, like a theatre director.’
The only guiding line now that I would like build a cohesive body of work, with paintings less diverse than before.
Artistic success is when you are able to transform any complicated imaginary pictures in your
head into touchable strong paintings on the canvas all day long stress-free, with no financial
problems.
In short: you have knowledge, opportunity and financial stability. These three make the cake. If you also want a cherry on the top, you may want to have your works exhibited in flashy museums and have them incorporated into famous collections. But the cherry is for the public, not for the artist himself/herself.
What accomplishments are you most proud of and why? What career goal is your current priority?
I’m always most proud of the latest accomplishments, right now as the finalist of a figurative painting competition I’ll take part in an exhibition in The Salmagundi Art Club in New York in December organized by the American NTDTV channel. NY is the city where I started my painting studies at The Art Students League and at the School of Visual Arts, and I always wanted to go back there as an artist.
Right now my carrier goal is to be able to provide enough paintings for the exhibitions with
higher and higher quality, and building a cohesive body of works.
I cannot think of anything special I would like to say to the artist I was a year ago, except for what I’ve said earlier – Don’t worry, just do it!
