ABOUT KATKA
My name is Katka Hubacek. I am a Czech-Canadian artist based in Ontario. My art practice has me exploring sculpture, mixed media, drawing as well as painting in oil and acrylic.
I have a diploma from the National Theater School of Canada as a set and Costume designer. I then went on to a Costume Studies Diploma from Dalhousie University in Halifax so I could draft and sew costumes. I worked in film, TV, Theater and Dance for 10 years only to find that being in a creative field wasn't enough. I needed to explore my own stories and find my voice. I first started attending Craft Fairs with recycled bags, then plush toys and later illustration. Only after having two children did I finally accept that what I always wanted was to be a painter. I did a BFA at Concordia University (mostly for the deadlines and to be accountable).
In my work I explore themes of vulnerability and emotion through the tug and pull of motherhood and being a woman. I find the mystery and contrast of what we choose to show or hide a huge inspiration. What does it mean to be a contemporary woman and what roles do we play within today’s societal preconceived ideas? As an artist I grapples with history’s traditional notions of woman/wife/mother and how we no longer fit in those tiny boxes. These binding limitations are deeply rooted in my work.
It’s an exploration of expression vs narration; abstraction vs figuration that has tenderness and femininity contrasted with violence and darkness.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My primary medium is oil and acrylic paint on canvas. Layering gentle washes, bold strokes, and clear renderings, my work explores the roles that define, bind, and hold women back – how women are limited by society’s construction of womanhood and how we limit ourselves within those constraints. Many of my paintings explore the struggle of women who are also mothers and our search for fulfillment. In my case, becoming a mother created conflict in my identity: can I be both woman-as-mother, who is a selfless giver, and woman-as-artist, who is a self-centered creator? In my paintings, female forms are bathed with soft brushstrokes and washes to convey a sense of emotion and tenderness. These are interrupted by bold colours, harsh tones, and sharp brush work. My use of opposing techniques, palettes and styles symbolizes the conflict I see and feel in contemporary ideas of womanhood/motherhood – the pressure to be gentle yet bold, fragile yet strong, self-assured yet selfless. Through painting, I seek to reveal the complexities of being a woman and mother, to give voice to her struggles, where tenderness and softness collide with violence and darkness.
" My canvas is my confidante. I bravely follow my feelings as they guide me into the unknown."
RESUME
Gallery Shows
2021 Solo Show, Espace Claire-Léger, Art Sutton Gallery, QC
2020 Group Show, Art Sutton Gallery, QC
2019 Solo Show, Cafe 92, Montreal, QC
2018 + 2019 Collective Exhibition, Art Sutton Gallery, QC
2008 Art Direction, Creature Pop Culture video, MAC, Montreal QC
2004 Inter-Art, Group Show, Art Sutton Gallery, QC
Selected Art Fairs
NDA Arts market, 2016, Montreal, QC
Marché Artisanat, 2016, Westmount, QC
One of a Kind, 2010-2013, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON
Old Skool Craft Fair, 2012, Eglise St-Michel, Montreal, QC
Originals Craft Show, 2010, Ottawa, ON
Cabbagetown Arts & Crafts, 2010, Riverdale Park, Toronto, ON
Heart 2 Heart, 2010, Eglise St-Michel, Montreal, QC
Pop Montreal, 2009, Eglise St-Michel, Montreal, QC
Expo 3R, 2008 + 2009, Centre des Sciences, Montreal, QC
Beaches Craft Show, 2009, Kew Gardens Park, Toronto, ON
Education
2017 - 2021 BFA - Studio Arts, Concordia University, Mtl QC
2009 Resin & Plastic I, École de Joaillerie de Montréal, QC
2008 Initiation à l'émail, École de Joaillerie de Montréal, QC
2004 Textile Screen Printing, Design & Impression Textile, Mtl QC
2002 - 2004 Jewelry Course I-IV, École de Joaillerie de Montréal, QC
1996 - 1998 Costume Studies, Dalhousie University, NS
1993 - 1996 Scenography Program, National Theatre School of Canada, Mtl, QC
Other Work
1997 - 2020 Art Direction & Costume Design - Film, TV, music videos & commercials
1996 - 2017 Set & Costume Design for theater & dance
