In Conversation with A. Stoyke

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Hello Antonia, thank you for taking your time to answer my questions. For people who don’t know you, please tell us briefly who you are and what you do.

My name is A. Stoyke and I live and work in Berlin. I primarily consider myself a drawer, working mostly in two dimensions on paper, but I have also realized drawings in a sculptural form. In my work, I am mainly concerned with the mental and non-visible. I translate phenomena of the human psyche, as well as spiritual themes, into delicate, abstract drawings. Topics that I have worked on include visualizing nightmares, Vodoo religious rituals, and neural processes of remembering.

Another theme that I devote myself to concerns the seemingly ordinary. I observe, abstract and deconstruct apparent reality, attempting to uncover the hidden and translate this information into my own aesthetic language. Research and attempting to understand are at the forefront of my work. I draw inspiration primarily from my visual environment, such as nature with all its forms, colors, and structures. I often combine organic and geometric shapes to create poetic compositions that reflect the complex inner life of human beings.

I’d like to go back to the beginnings for a moment: how did you get into art in the first place and how did it evolve from there to “becoming an artist”?

As a child, I discovered my passion for painting and drawing. My mother kept all of my works and collected them in many thick folders. Even during my school years, I was often preoccupied with drawing, which often earned me reprimands. In the meantime, I thought that my calling was to become a photographer and I completed training for this. However, the longer I pursued this, the more difficult and unnatural it felt for me, so I decided to apply to an art school after completing my training.

During my studies at the Kunsthochschule Berlin a few years ago, I returned to my roots. I believe that the desire to become an artist was unconsciously present in me very early on, but it took some time before I could make the decision to pursue this path. I am very grateful to have a family that supports me in everything I do. Without their support, I may not have had the courage and strength to pursue my dream.

Your works revolve around the mental and invisible and you translate phenomena of the human psyche and spiritual themes onto the paper. What fascinates you about this topic and have you always worked on it or did that come over time?

I discovered my interest in psychology and philosophy many years ago and also considered studying these fields, but then decided to study at the art school. At the beginning of my studies, I still focused on figurative drawing, especially of people. This resulted in works that were sometimes humorous but also critical of society, although I did not have a specific thematic focus. During my studies, I was especially interested in lectures that dealt with the human psyche or perception.

My time studying abroad at ENSAD Paris in 2017 proved to be an important turning point in my work. For the first time, I had the opportunity to focus completely on myself and my work, and was supported by great professors who encouraged me in my artistic development. In particular, the engagement with the art history of Africa inspired me greatly and stimulated my artistic curiosity. During my time in Paris, I visited numerous museums, experimented with new materials and techniques, and ultimately discovered abstraction, which was like a revelation to me.

You said that abstraction was like a revelation for your. What fascinates you about it?

I am fascinated by representing objects or concepts in an abstract way in order to examine and explore them in their pure form, to discover the essence of things. It’s not just about aesthetics for me, but also about discovering the soul of things, the hidden, the non-visible. To achieve this goal, I often work with magnifying glasses and microscopes to identify the smallest details and structures and work with them in my works. These tools allow me to dive deep into objects and view them from different perspectives and angles. My works are often very minimalist and reduced to focus on the essentials.

Another aspect of my work is the creation of my own forms, which serve as a metaphor for a specific concept. I create abstract shapes that carry their own meaning and symbolism. These symbols and forms allow the viewer to bring their own interpretation and perception into my works, which is an important part of my artistic work.

Through abstraction, each viewer is given the opportunity for their own interpretation. That’s what makes abstraction so exciting and unique. Each individual sees something different in my works and brings their own perspective and experience to it. It is extremely fascinating to see the different aspects and meanings that can be discovered in my works and how they are perceived differently by each viewer. This constantly inspires me and reminds me of how unique and individual our perception and interpretation of art is.

Is there any series or piece you’d like to talk about more in detail?

“Wudu” is a graphic exploration of the deities and rituals of the Voodoo religion, which originated in West Africa. The series consists of 21 drawings in the format of 20×30 cm, colored pencil on paper, and self-recorded bird sounds audio. Birds serve, among other things, as offerings in Voodoo. Metaphorically, they stand for the freedom from suppressed religion and slavery in “Wudu”. The series was exhibited at the ZF Projektraum as part of the “48h Neukölln” Berlin art festival in 2022. The 21 drawings were shown on a wall that I had previously hand-painted with a traditional African pattern.

I wanted to talk a bit about your creative process. Would you mind share some of it with me, from the starting point to a finished piece or series?

To approach the complex themes of my work, a scientific research precedes each of my series before I start drawing. When a topic comes to mind, I already have images in my head. I let them mature in my mind, and during the research process, as I make the topic my own, I begin to create sketches that constantly change throughout the process. Every form I construct is a metaphor for a concept. The color scheme of each drawing corresponds either to the colors that science assigns to the topic or was intuitively chosen by me, taking into account color symbolism. I read a lot of specialized literature, take notes, and speak to experts to find a visualization of the topic that is convincing to me. After I have found the appropriate materials for my drawings, I begin with the implementation.

I read a lot of specialized literature, take notes, and speak to experts to find a visualization of the topic that is convincing to me.

Nowadays, some artists opt to work digitally. Why do you choose to work with real pens and paper and what do you treasure about it?  

In the digital age we live in, there are a variety of tools and technologies available to us for creating artworks, but when it comes to drawing with pen and paper, there is a tactile experience that, in my opinion, cannot be achieved with digital tools. I need the physical experience for my art. It is important for me to hold the material I work with in my hands and feel how it works on paper, how the hand tries to transfer the idea that was created in the head fascinates me every time. It is a process that requires concentration, time, and patience, but it also gives me a feeling of control and freedom that I don’t experience when drawing digitally.

The texture of the paper and the type of pen used have a great impact on the end result. Another advantage of drawing with pen and paper is that there is a portability that digital tools cannot provide. I can take my sketchbook and pens anywhere and draw anytime, anywhere. There is no need for electricity or Wi-Fi. I find it liberating to make mistakes and learn from them, and I don’t want to have the ability to undo mistakes, as I believe they are an important part of the creative process. I appreciate the long process that requires my full concentration, and I like to plan the processes and find the appropriate material for my ideas.

I find it liberating to make mistakes and learn from them, and I don’t want to have the ability to undo mistakes, as I believe they are an important part of the creative process.

When your works are exhibited, you oftentimes accompany them with subtle recordings, such as voices or sounds of nature. Can you please talk a bit more about this? 

In my exhibitions, I often combine my drawings with audio recordings that I make myself. I use sounds from nature such as bird songs, but also voices and other sounds. By combining visual and auditory stimuli, I aim to add another dimension to my works. In addition to my interest in visualizing certain themes, I am passionate about music and auditory perception. I am fascinated by the way sounds engage our senses and how they can influence our emotions and thoughts.

I believe that the combination of images and sounds is a very powerful form of communication and that it can help us convey complex information on a deeper and more emotional level.

Through my acoustic drawings, I want to invite the viewer to perceive my works not only visually but also acoustically, and to contribute to the appreciation of auditory perception as an important part of recognizing and interpreting information.

And last question, is there any upcoming project or event that you’d like to share?

In the next months, I will be doing an artist residency outside of Berlin in the countryside to immerse myself in nature. My art project will focus on the life of plants and their perception, while also taking into account the connection between humans and nature and their mutual influence. I am very interested in the complexity of nature and the latest scientific research in this field. Plants have an amazing ability to adapt to their environment and communicate with each other. My goal is to provide insight into the perception and life of plants. I am excited about the coming months and look forward to being able to share the experiences and insights I have gained during my project.

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