Javiera Gart
- Feb 25
- 2 min read
Javiera Gart is a painter who began with illustration and mural painting while living in Mexico. Now based in Australia, she works with the female figure, focusing on color and composition. She takes inspiration from everyday life and the different places and cultures she has experienced.
In our interview, she talks about moving from murals to the studio, how she approaches painting, and how she makes decisions while working. She also speaks about color, the body, and what she is working on now.
Q: How did you first get into making art?
A: I started painting as the path I chose for myself while I was living in Mexico, first doing illustration and then taking my first steps into muralism. But since I was a child, I’ve always felt close to visual aesthetics and everything around it.
Q: What changed for you when you moved from muralism to studio work and smaller formats?
A: It gave me the freedom to do what is born in my chest to express my inner world. At the same time, I found a space to develop new techniques and concepts.
Q: When you’re painting, how do you move between intuition and decisions?
A: It depends. Sometimes I need to be more structured with the decisions I’m making, and other times, when I feel more inspired, I can trust what I’m doing without judging myself.
Q: How does colour guide a painting while you’re working?
A: I can feel it in my body. I can feel the weight of the colours in my shoulders. I’m not sure if I can fully explain it, but for me, colour decisions are shaped by intuition.
Q: Where does your inspiration usually come from when you start a new piece?
A: Often it comes from the present moment in my life where I’m living, or a topic I want to develop. Or sometimes, just my madness.
Q: You spend time in different countries. How do those experiences show up in your work?
A: It’s a huge nourishment. I get so much inspiration when I’m travelling—colours, elements of local culture, and the way each place speaks to my personal journey.
Q: How do you connect to the female figure in your paintings?
A: I think the female figure is often a mirror. But sometimes I need her to represent a collective experience.
Q: How does self-discovery come into your work?
A: I think we are always changing, growing, and discovering things about ourselves. Painting goes through the same process; it’s inevitable. If one changes, the other changes too. They grow together.
Q: What are you interested in exploring next?
A: I think there’s always more to explore about human behaviour and everyday situations. I’m also always interested in continuing to explore colour. But I try not to control it too much, I prefer to wait for that answer to find me.
