Meet Kamila Zmrzla | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kamila Zmrzla and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kamila, what matters most to you?
What matters to me the most is authenticity. Of course one cannot always be authentic when running a small business but for me, it must play a big part in the process. If I cannot attach emotionally to what I’m doing then the outcome will be habitual. It’s true that at times it may not mean to others as much as it means to me but often, I find, most people can relate to your own feelings and emotions in your work their own way. If I am not authentic then I am not true to my self and then my art is just a product and not something that evokes feelings and emotions in others.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

I didn’t really start fully working as an artist until I was in my early 40’s. I was raising my girls and didn’t think it was possible. One day while visiting my friends studio, I saw her baby sitting in the middle of her giant art piece chewing on a spool of threat and I’ve realize that I was my own best enemy. I’ve decided right there and then that I will stop having excuses for my self and that I will just show up every day, stop bitching and moaning and just do the work. Sometimes there are dishes in the sink and sometimes the kids have to fend for them selves, the house is a mess and there isn’t home cooked meal but there are other benefits and outcomes.
It’s not easy at times and I’ve had to completely change my routine and become very regimented which did not come naturally to me at first but now its all just part of me. Doing markets can be very demanding on your body, lugging heavy boxes of prints , not have time to eat or pee because you don’t want to miss a sale. Juggling all that can be very physically exhausting but I love it so I show up and do the work. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.
My art (if I can call it that) is mostly intuitive, I listen to what my head tells me. At times it feels as it’s not coming from me and I prefer to think of it this way. It keeps me away from narcissistic thoughts. I draw what I feel. I don’t know what you would call my art because it goes through so many different styles and stages depending on what I’m going through or feeling at the time. Some call it folk art and if it’s from life then that is what it must be. I focus mainly on nature and womanhood , to me, those are the most interesting and meaningful topics to explore.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

I’m afraid that nobody will really enjoy the places that I find exiting in NYC….haha.
One of my favorite places is the dead horse bay, a place in NYC where you can go collect old junk washed out from the sea. The hike up to this beach is quite magical through the tall grasses and the streaks of sun coming through. You know you are close when you hear the clinking of the bottles washed in and out to the shore by the waves. It’s bit smelly at times and you need to wear good strong boots but I always love the feeling of when you first see the view of the beach covered with glass bottles and the treasure hunt can begin. If I was to seriously play a tourist for a week with someone then I would most definitely take a bike ride down the west side highway all the way up the the cloisters. On the way I’d stop by the Whitney museum, walk the High line, have Takumi taco from Chelsea market and pop into few of my favorite galleries. I would go explore dumbo, back in time before they cut the weeping willows down, skip stones into the east river with the view of Manhattan skyline. Eat some Italian food at Noodle Pudding and take a walk through the pretty streets of Brooklyn Heights. I would take a subway ride where the train goes above ground past Carrol street to see the view of Brooklyn. Walk to Valentino pier where there is the best view of the Statue of Liberty minus the crowds, get a key lime pie and limeade from Steve’s and watch the sunset. Walk the Greenwood cemetery and read the writing on the headstones and calculate the age of everyone that has died. Stop at the Polish deli and get a fancy lollipop with flowers, nostalgic candy of my childhood. I would visit my favorite secret thrift stores and have a great dinner at Frankies 457, definitely not forget to order the tiramisu and maybe get a second desert at Monteleone’s.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are many people around that deserve the recognition in my story. My business takes a village to create. The kind words and encouragement of my friends, children, family and partner are probably the most important part of reaching any kind of advancement. The people that get to hear the good and dark sides of your process and still cheer you on. My group of friends, we call our selves the Solutionists, is ready to jump in at any given moment and help. My partner has endless patience with my creative process which is not always pretty. I feel extremely lucky to have that. I love podcast as I can often work and listen at the same time. Katy Hessel’s The Great Women Artists podcast gives me the fuel to keep doing what I’m doing regardless of the outcome.

Website: https://www.junibk.com/

Instagram: @topbunartist and @junibk

Image Credits
Photo of me by Laura Fontaine