Hi, I'm Izabela
I'm 25 years old artist based in Frankfurt, Germany. I was born and raised in Poland, then moved to Germany at the age of 14. As you can imagine, during my teenage years, my inability to communicate was a part of my daily life. Nonverbal communication (for me it is basically creating art) became my obsession as soon as I accepted life as a place full of misunderstandings.
My paintings are about my most hidden feelings, emotions, and longings that I am afraid of but would love to explore. Colors became a powerful tool for me to express what words cannot. Common themes are anxiety and depression, but a lot of hope also shines through. Every single painting session feels therapeutic and is a constant part of my daily routine.
My approach to oil painting is very structured. My journey through various artistic mediums and techniques has given me a solid foundation for my work with oil paints.
I started my artistic journey in my childhood when I focused on the precise depiction of details and aesthetic perfection in my drawings and paintings. This obsession with accuracy and beauty probably helped me develop an eye for detail and composition, which are invaluable in oil painting.
The therapeutic nature of painting and incorporating it into my daily routine has led me to view painting not only as an artistic expression, but also as a source of healing and personal well-being. This emotional connection to my art is evident in my work with oil paints.
I mainly paint figuratively, but I often transfer my expressive motifs to landscapes and still lifes. I always try to break through the realism in my work with abstract elements in order to emphasize my artistic language and give my works a deep emotional dimension. I like to work with limited color spectrums, because these limits that I set for myself create the craziest motifs.
Art is to console those who are broken by life
Vincent van Gogh
FAQ
What is your art about?
I paint emotions—raw, messy, and unfiltered. My work is about making sense of the chaos, turning feelings into something you can actually see.
Also, I try to process everything that’s messy in this world. Sometimes, I feel like I was made of the thinnest skin possible—I can literally feel everyone’s pain. I try not to let it consume me, because if I did, I’d break. But for art, this actually helps. It gives me a way to express those feelings and make sense of them.
Do you work with reference photos, or is everything from your imagination?
I use both. I always start with a reference—right now, I take my own photos—but I never stick to them 100%. I tweak colors, add abstract elements, and let things shift as I go. Faces change, emotions take over. I try to let the painting guide me, but I also spend time shaping the vision before I even start. It’s a mix of intuition and planning, all with the goal of making the best possible piece with all the tools I have while staying true to myself.
What inspires you?
I love cinema—whether it’s live-action or animation, I’m always fascinated by how everything is built from scratch. That same magic exists in real life too, in those unexpected moments when light hits just right—the blue hour, a single ray of sun breaking through a cloudy sky, a rainbow.
I’m drawn to contrasts. Living in a big city (which people call Crackfurt for a reason), I see a lot of the ugly sides of life. But even in that ugliness, there are moments of humanity, empathy, and hope that shine through. Sometimes it’s the light, sometimes it’s the people—sometimes it’s both.
If you were starting your journey again, what would you do differently?
With the experience I have now—and still not being in a place where I can live off my art alone—I’d say the biggest lesson is that artists are always evolving. There’s never a ‘right’ time to start, pause, or put yourself out there. It’s all about experimenting and understanding that failure is actually one of the most important parts of the process.
Oh, and there’s no universal marketing strategy that works for everyone. The only thing that really matters is staying authentic, pushing past your comfort zone, and making space to heal and recharge. Creative work can be draining, and if you don’t protect your energy, you burn out fast. I wish I had truly understood that earlier.
What’s your process when you hit a creative block?
When I hit a creative block, I don’t force it. I step away and clear my head. I ask myself, 'What’s actually stopping me?' Then, I write down all the steps or thoughts that are holding me back from creating. Sometimes the problem isn’t easy to pinpoint, so I stop actively trying to create and focus on recharging. If I can, I take a day off, meet people, or spend time outside—it really helps. Creativity can’t be rushed, and stepping back is often the best way to move forward.