Olga Luzea is a young, talented painter from Barcelona, Spain.
Her style of drawing is quite characteristic and charming. It’s about paintings of today’s women through safe brush movements, transparent forms, bright colors. Women, who seem to speak from these paintings, about their wishes, dreams, needs …
We talked openly about the sources of inspiration, fashion moments on the paintings, and the career trajectory that women face in the art industry.

Tell us something about you and your art, how everything started?

Painting and art, in general, has been my passion since I was a child. I grew up in a hard-working family with a small bussines, and while my parents needed to occupy my time and wanted the best education for me. I was fortunate enough that they decided to sign me up for painting, sculpture, theatre, ballet, music, and piano lessons, which are my passions to date. I believe this is the very origin of who I am today.

Although painting has always been my main passion, I have not painted in a row all my life. When I finished school, I graduated in Advertising and Public Relations at UPF University in Barcelona. I started my professional career in this field, first within the Theatre industry and afterward in Advertising Agencies. This work kept me busy for most of my twenties, during which I painted sporadically but without finding my voice. I also went through a period of frustration in which I thought I would never be able to find it. I had a creative block that kept me away from my brushes.

My artistic inspiration finally came back during the unfortunate Covid pandemic. When this situation came, I found a bright side to it. I finally slowed down my frenetic lifestyle and reconnected with who I really was. I finally found my a-ha moment and started to paint. I made mistakes and found my way, my voice. It was the moment I launched my artistic career professionally as Luzea and went public.

2. Where do you look for the sources of your inspiration?

I do not look for any sources when creating. Sometimes I have a clear idea of what I want to paint. I also use freehand drawing techniques and let myself be surprised by the result. Then comes the finishing part, where I work on the color palette, and then create storytelling about it.

When it is about eternal inspiration, I have always been inspired by Matisse or Modigliani, the fauvist Artists whose artworks I love and respect very much. And also, I have been inspired by the modern digital visual codes, which are very clean, bright, and sharp in color and angles.

3. Can you say who is the most affected by your art?

It’s definitely women. I paint women to be seen by other women, and it shows. It is not that men cannot appreciate my art, but my art is intentionally painted for the feminine gaze. On my Instagram (@luzea_artworks) I have seen an enormous response to my art of girls and women, many of which I have talked to, just to discover how amazingly creative, cultured, independent, restless, sensitive, kind, and friendly they are. And I’m super proud that my art enables me to connect with them.

4. Do you think society supports women and their rights, opinions, wishes, needs? What do you think about it?

Fortunately, today we live in a modern society that has come a long way from this one of our grandparents, even our parents. However, we still have a long way to go, and our voice must be louder so that the injustices that continue to happen to women today stop happening. I am referring to sexual, educational, and labor injustice. In the art world too, how many female artists can you name? We are uneducated in women’s contributions to society and any field you look into it.

I must say though, that I have been lucky enough to have always had extraordinary men around me, feminist good men, but like all women, I have not been exempt from uncomfortable situations that would not have happened if I had been a man. So we still have to build a more equal and respectful world.

5. Would you like to explain to us the significant “touch” of fashion in your art?

Haha, did you notice that?! I am not intentionally fashion in my art, but I have always loved fashion, and I have also worked for some fashion brands in my advertising career.
My previous work influenced me in a way that I want my “girls” to look stylish, elegant, and modern. I must confess as well that I noticed that I might be somehow inspired by the style of some fashionistas like Alexandra Pereira. Just look at her bob haircut! So good.

6. What kind of message do you send with your artwork? What message do your women send to society?

Empowerment the non-sexualized female gaze. We are enough as we are, strong, sensitive, independent, beautiful. My mantra is that you can do whatever you want in life, just have to believe in it. Work for what you believe in, and then see the magic happen. Never lose hope, it happened to me.