Photo: Courtesy of Claudia Trewik
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.
I was born in Santiago, Chile in a traditional Jewish family. I attended a non-religious Jewish school. I´m a dentist by profession with a post graduate specialty in Oral Rehabilitation. I´ve been married for 20 years now and have 3 children. In 2011 we moved to Santa Cruz, Bolivia, because my husband is Bolivian and wanted to spend time with his family. We lived there for 8 years. Since I couldn´t practice my profession there, it gave me the opportunity to dedicate full time to my passion; art.
I painted a lot and had solo exhibitions in the Contemporary Art Museum of Santa Cruz and in a private Gallery in La Paz. We returned to Santiago 3 years ago, and I´ve kept spending most of my time producing art work
I consider myself as a self-taught artist.
What inspired you to become an artist?
I think I´ve been an artist since I can remember. Throughout my childhood I was always painting and drawing abstract colourful themes. A colouring pencil set was what I thought to be the best birthday gift I could receive.
I´ve always felt the need to create, it´s kind of a visceral feeling, to express myself through colour and shape.
What is your speciality?
I´ve experimented several types of artistic techniques. I started painting ceramics, mosaic making, oil painting and acrylic painting. A few years ago I discovered the papercut techniques and I fell in love with it, so now it´s my main activity. I began using solid colour paper and afterwards I moved to paint my own papers using watercolour, pastels, acrylic, charcoal and pencils. I´m also using different materials, such as newspaper and embroidery mat. Currently, I started taking photos and printing them in 100 % cotton paper which allows me to intervene it as I want. It´s a never ending experiment and search of new possibilities and feelings.
Where do you take your inspiration from? Are you pursuing any themes?
My inspiration comes from within my mind and gestural movements, always following my gut. That´s regarding my abstract art. I have also started to find inspiration in the city, unusual buildings and neighbourhoods where I lived or simply like.
The other line of my work is Jewish symbols. I love working in projects related to my people and its millenary traditions. I feel part of keeping our roots and history alive.
In both lines of work, one of the most important characteristics is colour. Colour is everything to me, I´m always in search of the combinations that will transmit energy and not leave the spectator indifferent.
Do you take on commissions and create bespoke designs?
I do, but always keeping faithful to my style. Also trying to understand what the client wants and interpret their expectations so we are both satisfied with the result.
I also take commissions for Weddings, Bar and Bat mitzvah souvenirs, Ketubot and any kind of picture related to our traditions and symbols.
Which project have you enjoyed working on the most so far?
I have enjoyed discovering the use of photography, which I take, and intervening them with the papercut technique.
What do you want to achieve with your work and what are your wishes for the future?
I want to let my creativity fly as far as I can, to reach people´s feelings, emotions and imagination when they see my work. To achieve that I´d like to have the opportunity to be a better known artist.
Where can we find your work?
You can find it on Instagram in 2 accounts:
@claudiatrewik_artistavisual where I post all of my work and in @jewishart_ctrewik which is dedicated to my Jewish work.
Photos: Courtesy of Claudia Trewik
