We had the good fortune of connecting with Inga Hockamp / aka LiaFXart and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Inga, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
My inspiration comes from a variety of places. Mostly from movies, books, poetry, nature and lost places, conversations with people, other artists, dreams and also nightmares, trauma, fears, depression, and our fast society. I admire people who choose different and unique ways in life and are not afraid to see the world with different eyes.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
For as long as I can remember I was always drawn to the dark and horror. LiaFXart initially started as a form of therapy but in the end, it became so much more. I suffer from Borderline and Depression for a long time and this was and still is my way to cope and express myself. What makes my work unique is the special approach, I think.
My goal is to express my feelings through my art combined with horror and a melancholy touch while experimenting with modern interpretations. I want people to see the world differently and then judge for themselves.
I use the art of storytelling and for that, I create different themes and let the story develop picture by picture.
I pick up on controversial issues like (for example) depression, social media addiction, abandonment, domestic violence, ideals of beauty, world hunger, childhood fears or the Covid 19 virus and let my audience see the world through my eyes while often triggering emotions.
The costumes, makeup, masks, and headpieces are always carefully made by myself and I use them in my photos. Most of my pictures are self-portraits and I try to only use one other male model for recognition.

What I am most proud of is that I never gave up on my art. Even when times were really dark and getting out of bed was an obstacle, because I knew deep down this is exactly what I want to do. I am also proud that my work already got some recognition and was published in a few magazines as well as won some photography contests. I love when people can relate to my stories and give me feedback or get emotionally involved with them. Some people even said that my art helped them cope with their own feelings.
What I really had to learn was how to deal with criticism and my own demons. Not everybody will like what you do and that is totally ok but it was very hard for me to accept. Art is not a constant thing. It is a learning curve build-out of trial and error. If one thing doesn’t work, try another one. The important thing is you have to get up and try again.

I want to encourage other artists to express their feelings through art and help fight the battle against mental illness and stigmata in a very fast society.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As I am a fan of lost or abandoned places I would definitely take my friend on a tour to Beelitz-Heilstätten located in Brandenburg, Germany. It is an old clinic which you can visit and take lots of cool and creepy photos. They offer guides there as well to tell you about the history of the building.

Also, we would visit the Dali museum in Berlin, (Leipziger Platz 7), and grab something to eat at Holzmarkt at the River Spree, (Holzmarktstrasse 25) to watch the sunset. After that, it is time for a drink (preferably a Met) at the beautiful Rock and Wikingerbar (Dolziger Str. 25)

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to a man I unfortunately never met but who had a great influence on my life and art. His name was Dave Spenner and he was my mentor at Creepytreefilmfestival. He and his crew were nothing but kind to me and supported my art and those of others in the dark art community. I will be forever grateful for the lessons he taught me and the connection and the jokes we shared. Without him and the wonderful Creepytreefilmfestival (to who I also want to give a shoutout), I wouldn’t be writing those lines right now.

I want to mention my friend and dark artist Argus Dorian who recommended me to this magazine and for which I am so grateful to have met in my life.
Also, I want to thank all of my followers and friends who support and believe in me day by day and give me the strength to be the best artist I can be.

Last but not least I want to say a special thanks to Sebastian Stoebe (aka t_h_e__accountant / on Instagram) for being the male model in my photography projects all the time. Without you this all wouldn’t be possible and I love creating new and crazy Ideas with you!

Website: https://www.liafxart.com/home

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liafxart/?hl=de

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Liafxart/

Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.de/LiaFXart/_created/ Online Shop: https://www.liafxart.com/shop

Image Credits
Male Model: Sebastian Stoebe (aka t_h_e__accountant / on Instagram)

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