UKyra Kendall

Akukho ukuphika amandla obuciko - ngokusebenzisa izinsiza ezingenakubalwa, umculi unekhono eliyingqayizivele lokuthonya izimpilo zezethameli zakhe kanye nomhlaba ozungezile. Ngobuciko, umuntu angabonisa izinto kubantu angakaze ahlangane nabo futhi andise ama-horizons; shintsha izingqondo futhi uvule izinhliziyo. Elizebeth Broun, owayengumqondisi weSmithsonian American Art Museum kanye neRenwick Gallery eWashington D.C., wake wathi “ubuciko abuhlali buphathelene nezinto ezinhle, kumayelana nokuthi singobani, kwenzekani kithi, nendlela ukuphila kwethu okuthinteka ngayo.” Umculi we-Watercolor, UKyra Kendall, kuwukubonakaliswa kweqiniso kwalowo muzwa.

Imibala ekhanyayo, ubuso abadumile, exquisite detail and a seemingly contagious joie de vivre, fill her canvases and the souls of those who lay eyes on them. But for the artist whose desire is to create beauty and make people feel a spark of joy — the road to success wasn’t always so beautiful or joyful. Her path would include a cancer diagnosis as a young art student and having to put her dreams on hold to undergo treatment, as well as navigating the sadness, shame and frustration that coincided. Ultimately for Kendall, the challenges only further fueled the urge in her heart to paint. Her studio would become her safe haven.

It’s a safe bet that Kendall will not run out of inspiration anytime soon, nor will her story or her work cease to inspire. From her home studio in Toronto, UKyra Kendall wavula iwindi ukuze athole ugqozi lwakhe, inqubo yokudala, amathemba, namathonya. Uphinde wabelane lapho ungamthola khona uma engadwebi.

Uqale nini ukudweba?

Umama wayengumqophi. Ngakho kwakuhlale kunestudiyo endlini yethu. Ngikhumbula ngivunyelwa ukudweba ngesikhathi umama esebenza estudiyo. Kodwa angizange ngiqale ukudweba i-watercolor kuze kube yilapho ngikhona 12 iminyaka ubudala. Umama wangibhalisa ekilasini lokudweba esikhungweni somphakathi sendawo.

Ingabe ubulokhu unobudlelwano be-watercolor ngokungafani nezinye izinto ezisetshenziswayo?

Cha. Empeleni ngithole kuyindlela ekhungathekisa ngempela iminyaka. Kuyakhungathekisa! Nokho, into enayo i-watercolor ngaphezu kwanoma yini enye, wukuthi ungakwazi ukuhamba nayo kalula nje. Empeleni, yaqala kanjalo-ke iphrojekthi yami ye-Instagram - ngangihamba eSpain, futhi ngangifuna ukudweba ohambweni lwami. Ngaya esitolo sezinto zobuciko eBarcelona, futhi kwaba yilokho.

Yini ekhuthaza umsebenzi wakho?

Isifiso sokudala ubuhle. Ukugubha okuhle. Nginesifiso nje enhliziyweni yami sokupenda. Ngigqugquzelwa yinkundla yezokuxhumana namamuvi. Ikakhulukazi amafilimu amadala. Ngiyathanda ukudweba izinto sonke esingahlobana nazo.

Kuthatha isikhathi esingakanani ukuthi udale ucezu?

Hawu bantu. Kwesinye isikhathi kushesha kakhulu - kwesinye isikhathi amahora ako. Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi ngivame ukupenda isihloko esifanayo izikhathi eziningi, isikhathi ngasinye lapho ngiyipenda, Ngiyafunda, futhi ngakho kuba ngokushesha.

Yini othanda ukuyenza uma ungadwebi?

Ngithanda i-snowboard. My husband bought me fancy gloves so I don’t fall and break my wrist, which he jokingly calls the ‘Cash Register’. I also love riding my bike in the summer through Toronto. In fact my favorite thing to do is to ride my bike to meet my friends for drinks. I also love to travel and paint in new places. That is very, very inspiring to me. I am planning a painting trip through Italy this summer and I am looking forward to it immensely.

Do you remember the first piece that you ever created?

I remember being in Kindergarten and gleefully drawing on the chalkboard. I would take a piece of chalk in each hand and draw mirrored halves of the same image at the same time. I remember being SO HAPPY when I did that.

Ngikhumbula futhi ngingena ku-studio kamama ngathola ubumba phansi futhi ngivele ngihlukanise futhi ngiqophe itheku.. Ngavele ngahamba ngakhohlwa. Ngemva kwesonto, umama wanginika iteki lami ebelicwebezelile wangidubula ehhokweni lakhe. Yamhlaba umxhwele ngempela. Ngangingacabangi ukuthi kwakuyilutho, kodwa ngangimangele ukuthi yena, umqophi, wahlabeka umxhwele.

Uyakhumbula ucezu lomsebenzi wokuqala owake wawuthengisa?

Ngenkathi ngigula ngenxa yomdlavuza ngaqala ukwenza lawa ma-watercolors ama-roses anama-fairies ngaphakathi kwawo. Ngisho nokucabanga ngabo namuhla kungenza ngidabuke kancane. Umngane kamama wami wathi ngimenzele inqwaba yendlu yakhe futhi lowo kwakuwumsebenzi wokuqala engake ngawuthengisa. Ngikhumbula ngijabule kakhulu ngokuthi ngenze imali ngokudweba. Kodwa futhi ngazizwa ngidabukile kangangokuthi ukuphila kwami ​​kwazizwa kuncane njengezinganekwane ze-watercolor kuma roses. Ukugula kunzima.

Ungazichaza kanjani ngamagama amathathu?

I-Eccentric. Uyaphana. Isibindi.

Obani amathonya akho amakhulu (kwezobuciko kanye nangaphandle kwezwe lobuciko)?

Kwezobuciko amathonya ami amakhulu, futhi alukho uhlelo oluthile – Marlene Dumas. Ngikhumbula ngibona iqoqo lemisebenzi yakhe e-SF MOMA ngesikhathi ngiseduze 23 futhi ngazizwa ngihlanya ngokukhonzwa. Indlela adlulisa ngayo imizwa emdwebeni wakhe iyamangalisa kakhulu. UJanet Werner ungumdwebi waseCanada, futhi ngiyawuthanda umsebenzi wakhe. Kunomdwebo wakhe olenga ezitebhisini endaweni yokucima ukoma engiyithandayo. Sometimes I excuse myself from my friends and sneak up the stairs to look at it. I also love the painting of Richard Diebenkorn. I think those 3 are my biggest art influences. Also Matisse. But who isn’t blown away by his use of color?

Is there a message or something that you hope to portray or express through your work?

I hope that my work shows the beauty of this world. I hope that in me painting all the time I can inspire others to give it a try. I hope to make people feel a spark of joy.