Katinka Huang

How did you get into making art?

I’ve always been a visually curious person, and I’ve loved drawing for as long as I can remember. Experimenting and making things with my hands has always felt natural to me. For a long time, I actually wanted to be a fashion designer like my mother. I would always be drawing figures and designing outfits. I never thought becoming an artist was a realistic option. But I was fortunate to have parents who encouraged me to prioritise art throughout my school years, which gave me the confidence to pursue it as a career.

What are you currently working on?

I am temporarily moving away from full figurative works, to a series of paintings that focus on specific body parts within everyday settings, viewed from a voyeuristic angle. I’m focused on portraying a familiar intimacy that’s subtle, evocative but not necessarily provocative, at times sexual but stripped of seduction. They are drawn from quiet, almost incidental observations, distilling moments where the body lingers in space.

What inspired you to get started on this body of work?

Through a habit of photographing and recording ordinary moments on my phone, I often turn the camera toward myself. I’m interested in creating self-portraits from the perspective of being outside my own body, like a fly on the wall staring back at myself. These images often carry a mystery and a subtle strangeness. I’m drawn to the way a gesture, a posture, or an unfamiliar angle of myself can reveal something so foreign to me. In many ways, it is an exercise of self-discovery. From these images, I create paintings that heighten this sense of detached intimacy, presenting the body from unusual, sometimes intrusive angles. In the process of painting, these moments take on an uncanny presence.

Do you work on distinct projects or do you take a broader approach to your practice?

I start with specific projects I have in mind, but they always take a turn and become something unexpected, often stranger and more layered. In that sense, I do a bit of both: I work within a structure, but I never force myself to adhere to it. For me it feels more important to stay in dialogue with the idea/ project rather than execute the project too strictly.

What’s a typical day like in your studio?

Most days, I get straight into painting. Sometimes I start visualising exactly what I want to do the moment I wake up, or during the subway ride to my studio. By the time I arrive, I’m usually eager to dive straight in. But on days I feel stuck, I look through my photo album to reflect on what caught my attention lately or do drawing exercises.When I get in the flow, I enjoy listening to podcasts or audio books. ( I’m currently listening to 7 Deadly Sins by Stephen Fry)

Who are your favorite artists?

There are too many to name, but a few that come to mind right away are Miriam Cahn, Claude Cahun, Sophie Calle, Marlene Dumas, Wangechi Mutu, Cecily Brown, and Joel-Peter Witkin .A mixed crowd!

Where do you go to discover new artists?

Honestly, I come across amazing new artists on social media all the time, but very few really stick with me. Everything online feels so fleeting, and there’s just so much to take in. I really love going to open studios whenever I get the chance,seeing the work in the artist’s own space and being able to talk to them makes the experience and their art, so much more memorable.