Katie Lynch in Conversation with Artist, Sasha Alexandria
Sasha in her studio
Intense and emotionally charged, the work of Melbourne-based artist Sasha Alexandria reflects her deeply introspective process, beginning with gestural abstract marks and resulting in carefully studied portrayals of the human body.
Sotheby’s Institute of Art alumna and founder of Studio Art Advisory, Katie Lynch, interviews Sasha Alexandria about her creative process and the psychoanalytic significance of her work.
Ghost, 2021
Katie Lynch: Your work has a visceral quality, combining an abstract gestural style with figurative renditions of the human form, yet it appears as the result of a careful study of moving bodies. Can you talk me through your process?
Sasha Alexandria: My process always starts with a feeling-- art is something that can’t be forced for me. If there is an idea worth exploring, I paint or sketch until l feel it on the edges of my body, which is why my paintings begin with lots of abstract marks; I am offering myself to the canvas and seeing where it wants to go.
When my mind's eye sees a figure forming in the abstract paint, I find reference images to help me get a sense of the body in that position. It can take days to find the right reference image that brings to life what I am envisioning. I search for something with a human essence that captures the quality of an emotion inhabiting the body, then I do studies of these references or go straight to the canvas.
To me, the fluidity and nature of paint resembles the depth of life, like blood running through our flesh, which makes painting with oils in this way so exciting. Towards the end of a painting, I fine-tune areas. This is the longest part because it requires the most looking. I never want to make a stroke that is unnecessary, so there is a tension and an excitement in the final moments shared with the art.
One of the hardest things for many artists is knowing when a work is finished. For me, it usually occurs when a feeling or emotion passes. If I continue painting without the same initial feeling, the work will head in a completely different direction, or it will start anew. There are often 2-3 ‘completed’ paintings underneath what I present as a finished work.
Dance of the feminine, 2021
KL: You describe your work as ‘confronting the superficial male gaze,’ and works like Dance of the feminine read as a celebration of femininity. What place, if any, does feminism have in your work?
SA: A lot of people view femininity as a quality adorned to those who strictly identify as a ‘woman’. To me, everyone has a feminine essence within, expressed in different ways to different degrees. My work is a celebration of the feminine and masculine qualities of the psyche in union.
I would love to get to a place in art where there are no longer gender issues, so ‘feminist’ artwork will not need to be labelled as such. Rather, it’s about enjoying the beauty of humanity, which is why I stay away from labelling my work as ‘feminist’; I don’t want to box my work in. I want the viewer to see it with open eyes, relating to it as much as a ‘woman’. If someone wants to call it ‘feminist’ art, though, I don’t mind.
The ‘superficial male gaze’ is a reminder of how women were predominantly painted through a voyeuristic lens by 18th and 19th century male artists. I am reappropriating the female form and male form alike, recognising the beauty in our primal nature and discussing our nakedness as a sacred form deserving of love and respect.
I feel our conditioning and expectations suppress the feminine. The days of equating ‘feminine’ to wearing 'pink frilly dresses' are over. The feminine side goes deeper. It's about a willingness to open up, to be emotional, to dance wildly, to care and nurture. It's the childlike freedom, which exists within all of us, that is what I am wanting to evoke within the viewer.
Indi by the window, 2020
KL: Your work echoes some of the last century’s best known figurative artists, such as Alice Neel, Lucien Freud and even Jenny Seville, yet it maintains the abstract quality of artists like Francis Bacon. How do you think your art fits within the broader context of contemporary art? What space do you hope to carve out for yourself?
SA: Good ‘art’ doesn't fit in-- it pushes the boundaries of what already exists. Contemporary art leads to a more sensory experience with moving imagery, sound etc. This immersive experience pulls us away from the individual elements of a work.
I focus on the introspective quality created from one's presence with an artwork, the distraction it causes by engaging all the senses. The younger generation is more attracted to spaces that look interesting on camera. For me, it's important that art is experienced with its texture, not through a photo taken in passing.
In our emotional response to art, we discover and feel deeper within ourselves than before. A conversation between art and the self can hugely alter the internal world. The painting invites the viewer to climb into the shadows of their psyche, allowing free expression and experimentation.
Current contemporary artists need to constantly evolve and push the envelope of what was created before, which is why my style changes as different dialects emerge. The space I'm carving revolves around the viewer more than ever. I want my art to be a place where there are no taboos or boundaries, and intimacy feels safe. Ultimately, art helps us transform our consciousness, and that's the role I want to play.
The Birthing Women, 2021
KL: You have a relatively unique experience in that you never studied art at university, after attending a secondary school dedicated to the development of student’s artistic abilities. How has this shaped your practice? Do you consider yourself self-taught?
SA: I would consider myself ‘technically’ self-taught. I discover my style through trial and error, so it is ever evolving. However, I learnt one of the most important lessons from my high school art teacher, when he encouraged me to ‘feel’ the art.
I remember being instructed to go outside, close my eyes and grope a tree until I had a solid feeling of it. A drawing was then made by reproducing my memory of this feeling, not by looking at the tree. This expanded how I experience the world and it informed my painting.
I never create art for aesthetic reasons primarily, but to process an emotion and to observe a feeling the imagery evokes within me. The previous school I went to focused on praising ‘realistic’ work, whereas my high school really encouraged me to be an individual both in the world and my art. This built my confidence to create in the way I want.
Thank you, Sasha.
Images courtesy of Sasha Alexandria.
Visit Sasha Alexandria’s website and her Instagram @sashaalexandriaa to find out more about her work.
Katie Lynch,
Contributor, MADE IN BED