The colour of friendship with Artist Dina Bukva

In our latest campaign, our London based, contributing photographer, Indy Hartford Davis (whose work you may have seen in our Micro campaign in London and Guise story in Paris), went en route to the quaint town of La Coruña in Spain. There she met an artist we have been deeply intrigued by and captured her behind the scenes in her studio after a morning of exploring the town together.

With her pieces being so evocative and rich in narrative, we virtually connected to Dina from Australia to discover more about her work, the journey she has embarked on becoming an artist and her new life in Spain.

Where are you from and where to do live now?

From Croatia, from a small town on the coast called Makarska. Three weeks ago I moved to La Coruña, Spain.

As a new resident in Spain, what are some of the interesting / beautiful things you are discovering in your local area?

Walking through the small streets in the city, which are full of restaurants and bars and always crowded with people. I love to see how outgoing people here are. Obviously, I love the architecture as well. Especially in the north of Spain buildings have those beautiful galleries, which are basically white window fronts covering the whole front side of the flats.

Where is your favourite place to visit and favourite café or restaurant in your area?

The beach and the long walk beside it. I go there every day. My favourite cafe is around the corner of my flat. Everything they have is gluten free, which is amazing for someone who’s intolerant to gluten. I also love various seafood restaurants. It’s a specialty here.

Tell us your journey to becoming a full-time artist?

I always loved art and enjoyed painting ever since. It was a few years ago, in university, when I found myself painting on a regular basis. Simply because I needed something else while writing essays and research papers. Once I started sharing my work on Instagram and my community started to grow slowly, I began selling my art. Being a full-time artist is still something I am working on.

What is the inspiration behind your paintings?

I paint women and their friendships. Women inspire me and I’ve had mainly female role models during my whole life. Female family members, friends, activists, artists, celebrities I looked up to. My mother used to paint with me a lot when I was a child. She bought books of artists she admired. We read about their lives, and she would show me paintings that reminded her of me.

At some point I started actively reflecting on who I am as a young woman and how people around me shaped me while growing up. As the me-too movement was rising I started a journal with incidents that happened to me. Things that seem totally normal to me, because I am so used to them. Still, I question my femininity on a daily basis.

I feel insecure about various topics. I question my whole mental health when feeling emotional. Or too bossy when I fight for something I believe in. I often struggle with the idea of having children and a family because deep down I somehow expect the whole weight being on my shoulders.

I think three times about how men might interpret my outfits - even though I’m very much aware that I can wear whatever I want. As long as all those things go through my mind and the mind of my friends, I will be painting women and their friendships.