Fluidity of Isolation.
As we continue reconnecting with our artists and checking on their wellbeing, this interview will give you a new perspective on the artist’s life in 2020. This time we are actually in this together. Our lovely Queens-based Sofia Echa is a perfect example of kindness and support towards the others.
ARTI.NYC: It’s hard to believe what’s been happening in the world for the past few months! Can you describe how did Corona change your life, personal and artistic?
SOFIA ECHA: It has been a challenging time for me. I have been going through a lot in the past months, coping with the grief of loss of my beloved grandfather whom we lost to COVID, ‘cabin fever’ and the feeling of uncertainty about what is going to be next for me as an artist, with all the canceled exhibitions and the whole world going upside down. The last months have helped me build habits to keep myself mentally healthy and foster creativity despite everything. I meditate and basically keep the same schedule daily to have a sense of structure in my life. I have taken so many great lectures that keep me inspired and stimulate me intellectually. I am so grateful for all these new opportunities online. I still take these lectures regularly; I feel like I’m in college again! As for my studio practice, honestly, nothing has drastically changed, I’ve just realized how I cherish my time alone in the studio once again.
AN: Despite all the troubles, you were still working at the studio and even tried something completely new. Tell us about this experience.
SE: I was approached by my friend, Tutes, a Bronx-based photographer, asking me if I would be interested in creating a custom backdrop for his own photography work, using a color palette of my choice (he gave me my artistic freedom). He told me it’s hard to find something like this as all the backdrops you can purchase online are kind of the same and never colorful. I was happy to make a couple of backdrops for him, using the same materials I use in my own practice, so it still felt like the process of creating a painting. Working with other creatives gives you energy and knowledge that we can exchange to push each other further. After that, I was asked to create more backdrops for people, and that’s what I’m working on now.
I am happy to create something that is going to be helpful for other creatives, especially during these times, when everybody is figuring out new ways of expressing themselves, whether it is a home photoshoot or maybe even a decorative piece in your room.
AN: How did BLM protests in New York affect you?
SE: I feel truly blessed to have such an awesome audience on Instagram: I had so many open and profound conversations on the topic of race, injustice, and cultural differences with many different people in my DM’s. I feel like we’ve been talking with some people for hours, and that is the part that I am grateful for, to be able to watch, listen, read, educate yourself, talk to the real people who are from this country and who can tell you, a girl from the Far East, how their lives have been, and eventually grow as a person and become a better human being. I am full of hope that everything that’s been going on this year is for the better, and things will change, but it is so painful.
AN: Given the city’s current situation: empty streets, closed museums, social distancing, etc., did New York become less attractive to you?
SE: It’s the opposite! I do miss visiting museums, but these months with no ‘distractions’ (going out, gallery hopping non-stop, going to events) gave me this precious opportunity to focus on my inner world and truly listen to myself, listen to my heart, study, journal, at the same time (safely and socially distanced) taking the best of this New York summer, with its quiet streets and warm nights.
AN: Do you think New York’s art scene will change and how?
SE: I am curious to see what is going to happen, with so many changes that people in the art world see every day. I am hoping for more diversity when it comes to artist representation and that the small galleries survive.
AN: How is your work evolving?
SE: It is important for an artist to keep growing. I feel like I really took my time to stop and learn what I am about. I dived deep into Japanese literature, poetry and art studies, and it took me back to my college years (I got a degree in Japanese studies), but in such a fresh way (let’s be honest, you don’t fully soak up the knowledge or get profound insights when you are a young student), and that helped me during the difficult time when I had no inspiration or energy to paint. That inner work Is so important. Now I feel like I am so ready to work on new pieces working with both metal and canvas and express my aliveness.
AN: Are you waiting for everything to get back to normal, or are you easily adapting to the new reality?
SE: I feel like we hear this phrase from everywhere now: we are never going ‘back to normal.’ Our world is clearly changing, and if you are flexible, you will adjust to the new reality and eventually find your way.
The discomfort of this ‘big unknown’ only makes me want to step up and become more creative and innovative.
The only thing I would want as soon as possible is to see my family.
AN: Any advice for artists and collectors in this changing art world?
SE: This year is proving that it’s all about support and community. I probably wouldn’t have survived mentally if it wasn’t for the encouragement of my fellow creatives, and I myself love to openly encourage people who I look up to in the creative field from all my heart. Collaboration is such a beautiful thing. If you don’t feel inspired, you can offer to help to work on somebody else’s project. It will free you from the pressure of being creative and just enjoy the moment.
