Chloë Nunez Garcia explaining her work

Chloë Nunez Garcia lives and works in Antwerp. In her cozy art deco apartment, she recently installed a spacious studio. Bernice wants to know what drives her as an artist and how Chloë’s work is evolving thanks to an experiment with Chat GPT

Chloë, can you tell how you got started as an artist?

I took drawing lessons as a child. Drawing and painting has always been there. I learned portrait drawing, figurative drawing, … only later did I start my collages that evolved into paintings.
I started painting in acrylic paint. This allowed me to work very quickly because back in the days, my budget was limited. Gradually, however, I became completely charmed by the craftsmanship of oil paint. The craftsmanship of it really appealed to me. Now I paint exclusively in oils.
My collages are the starting point for my paintings. They allow me to very quickly translate the images that are in my head into something on paper; from concept to creation. I started with surrealistic collages but have grown towards more abstraction in my images.

(image under: Chloë in her studio)

What figurative elements on your canvases were inspired by your collages?

Impressions from my travels and the photos I took, I work with in my collages and are afterwards used on the canvas. I use images from Palm Springs and the Atacama Desert in Chile. Palm Springs is my favorite place in this world. I have taken many pictures there during my visits. These figurative elements and the light inspired me to create the series “I spent a night in Palm Springs.” I was so impressed by the calmness of the desert, the heat during the day and the night life, … this is what I wanted to express in that series.
Then there is my fascination with “all things swimming pools”. The variations of blue, green,  the reflections,… hence I also included this in some of the works.

(image under: from the series “I spent a night in Palm Springs” 40×30 cm – oil on canvas)

Collages with clippings and photographs are made on a very limited area. Size A4, sometimes smaller. It’s an intimate surface. How do you translate this on an 120×120 cm canvas?

Translating on canvas requires a certain sense, a good feeling for composition; it’s very liberating to be able to work on a large format. During the painting process I have the space to try something out, to work out textures and to mix and match details and rough finishes. The painting has to be more than the collage. Finding the right mix between finish and texture is what my process is all about.

When starting a new canvas today, do you still reach back to collages from years ago?

When I really have an image in my head, I just want to create the work. The artwork has to be born. There are always different ideas in my head, a back row of collages. But on the other hand there’s the works I’m effectively working on. So I don’t refer back to those older collages much because I actually have a continuous stream of inspiration.

So your head is still full of images that need to get out? No lack of inspiration?

There is a lack of time rather than a lack of inspiration (Chloe also works full time as a consultant).
For example, for my latest series, I asked Chat GPT to sup up 10 emotions that take place during an artistic process. This experiment had a very interesting result. These 10 emotions were a basis for creating collages, from which I am currently creating a new series.

(image under: Chloë’s home studio)

Who are the artists that inspire you?

Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven because of her position as a woman in the art scene. I admire the element of “being a woman” she brings to her works. As for painting style, I admire Edward Hopper and especially his painting “Nighthawks.” The role of light and the spherical in this painting makes the whole scene a story in itself. Also David Hockney inspires me in his use of color and the reference to what I see and feel in Palm Springs.

Check out Chloë’s work here.