The Patagonian Painter of Icons: Gabriel Kondratiuk [inside my journal]

Patagonian Gabriel Kondratiuk hails from Argentina’s wild, rugged south where he once painted religious icons inside Orthodox churches. Now living in Vienna, Gabriel has exhibited not only in Austria, but Argentina, Chile, Germany and Spain. 

In this interview, he reveals how his journal has become his ‘mobile studio’, how his favourite piece of artwork was destroyed, and how aspiring artists can go pro. 

What sort of artist are you?

I like to explore art. I have done many different styles, from watercolour landscapes, to collage, to wall-sized frescos. I work with oil, pastils, pencil and ink. I take lots of different directions at the same time.

I’m a bit of a paper connoisseur so I love collecting and trying out different types and seeing the result using various techniques. Because of this, it’s hard to define my style, but nature is always my inspiration. A lot of my recent work is born of memories of scenery and experiences from my Patagonian homeland.

You have painted traditional icons inside Orthodox churches in Patagonia. Tell us more…

My father was Ukrainian so I was connected to the Ukrainian community whilst growing up in Argentina. I did a lot of work inside the churches on icons. These are large religious scenes, painted on wood using traditional tempera painting which uses egg mixed with oils and pigments. I continue to work on iconography here in Austria, though typically smaller pieces rather than in churches.

What paper republic journals do you have and how do they come into your artwork?

I use several journals for both my artwork as well as my day job at paper republic, where I'm a Customisation Operations Coordinator.

I love my pocket grand voyageur in natural. It’s packed with book refills, a pocket, and a card and cash holder. I call it my ‘mobile studio’ because wherever I am, I can still work on my art as long as it’s with me. 

All my work starts off as notes and outlines in my grand voyageur. I sketch out my ideas and develop them there. Sometimes I cut out pieces of previous work and use that for collages.

I also test out different paints on different papers, keep spare ribbons in it, and collect other inspiration, like magazine cuttings, leather offcuts, or other pieces of fabric. I love that I can keep everything together in one place, yet it is small enough to come with me everywhere I go.

Where do you exhibit your artwork?

Last year I had two exhibitions in Spain and I am currently preparing for a new one. The last one, called ‘curiosity’ was in Madrid and was a collection of watercolours based on a mix of memories from my motherland – Patagonia – spliced with fantastical elements.

For example, wild octopuses that come out of the sea and mimic the mountains, mountains that house Christmas decorations, Christmas decorations that are waves, waves that reach the skies, night skies that hide birds, black birds that talk and look at each other.

What do you like about the paper republic system for your artwork?

I have tried so many different setups in the past. I used to go to the art supply shop every month to buy different notebooks, sketchpads and paper. Then I found paper republic and now it’s the only system I use.

I love the quality; the leather smells and feels so nice, and the paper is excellent. Secondly, I love how I can change the contents so quickly. For example, if I need a lined notebook for making lists, I just add that in. If I need more paper for watercolours, I just insert one. I can also remove pads that I don’t need.

It’s very flexible which is ideal for my work but because its pocket sized, it’s very portable, so I can continue working even when I am not at my home studio.

What advice would you give other artists looking for a journal to help them work? 

Start with something small and simple, for example a pocket grand voyageur. It’s ideal for artists who need a notebook for sketching ideas and planning out their work. You can add more refills when needed, and using a card & cash holder you can collect all those little pieces of inspiration you find and keep them all in one place. 

What’s the piece of art that you are most proud of?

When I first moved to Austria, I lived in Tyrol, a place which reminded me of Patagonia, my mountainous motherland. In a small Tyrolese village, I was invited to paint a huge wall inside a hall. It was a very spontaneous project and took me ten days to finish. The exhibition lasted for one month, and when it ended, my work was painted over, so it no longer exists. That was always part of the plan, but by being destroyed, it somehow gave it more meaning.

What would be your dream art project?

My dream project would be creating a really, really big piece of work; a huge internal wall space. That would be exciting because it’s something I don’t have the opportunity to do every often. I like the idea of having no restrictions.

Finally, what’s your advice for aspiring artists wanting to become professional?

First, just paint or draw for yourself. Don’t worry about selling your work. Just practice, practice, practice. Draw or paint every day; that’s the most important thing. Your work will improve and once you have enough pieces and you feel they are ready, join some type of artist community, ideally locally so you can meet people in person, but failing that, online. 

Connecting and contributing to a community is an excellent way to give and get feedback and advice, and find opportunities for exhibiting your work.

See more of Gabriel’s work on his Instagram channel and find out about his latest exhibitions at: GabrielKondratiuk.com