Paintings Full of Light: An Interview with Dominika Hofman.

Why did you become an artist?  

For me, it was not a conscious decision, but rather a natural course of events.  

I have always felt a strong need to create. Since childhood, I perceived reality in a very intense and emotional way. Art became for me a source of strength and a form of expression of myself and the world around me, without which it would be difficult for me to function. 

What would you do if you were not a painter?  

It may sound strange, but I always knew that I would become a painter. 

I probably cannot even imagine myself in another profession. I think that even if I were forced to choose a different career path, sooner or later I would return to painting despite everything. 

I work in the form of painting series, in which I deepen selected themes.  

The most important of them is the “Luminosities” series. Light plays the leading role in it. It is light that constructs the paintings.  I have always been fascinated by the role of light in painting and by the way it affects colors. I have searched and continue to search for themes in painting through which I can study light.  

In the “Black Pearls” series, I focus on the interplay between light and shadow. I discover its new aspects.  I try to show how many shades of radiance are hidden within apparent greys and colors muted by shadow. In this cycle, I ask a philosophical question about life, its shadows and its brightness. How many shades does each of our lives contain? 

The shells and pearls I paint in this series are not actually black at all – the title is somewhat ironic. They contain within themselves an entire spectrum of colors.  

Pearls and shells naturally also carry a deep symbolic meaning for me. They symbolize women, their beauty,  transformation, delicacy, but at the same time also strength. 

Which of your works is the most important to you?  

I do not have one single work that is the most important to me – perhaps in the future one of my paintings will prove to be particularly significant and take on a superior role.  

Such an assessment, however, requires an appropriate time distance and the ability to look at one’s own artistic work from a broader perspective. At present, I am completely immersed in my art, and each new work opens up new potential for me. This process constantly surprises me. 

At the very beginning of working on a painting, I create my own “map of inspirations.” I draw quick small sketches and collect notes. The next step is preparing an initial digital design in a graphic program. However, this serves only as a starting point. All photographs and drawings that I use at this stage are created by me personally – I never use artificial intelligence tools.  

The final result remains unpredictable to a certain extent. I like combining realistic representations with elements of chance, which I later consciously organize. I carefully consider color values and composition. 

I mainly paint with oil paints, combining them with acrylics and sprays. 

Painterly craftsmanship has always been very important to me, but currently the development of a personal painterly language is my priority. I believe this is a sign of an artist’s maturity.

 

I do not feel jealousy toward other artists. I always try to see inspiration instead of envy.  Observing how we influence one another and motivate each other to act, I primarily see the richness of positive experiences and creative energy.