Born in Poland, Bolli Blas is an artist who is known for the bright-eyed characters called Bollis that she features in her paintings. She began her career in the arts by creating classical paintings that depict landscapes and still life objects.
Eventually, her career and art style took a crucial turn after she traveled through some of the poorest countries in the world. Now, her Bollis serve as the medium of her message of love, peace, and positivity.
The central message of her artworks has three key concepts: eyes, lies, and surprise.
According to the Polish artist, this means that we should open our eyes, don’t believe lies, and be ready for surprises as things are not always what they seem.
“I want people to look around. We seem to have lost sight of what’s important in life. Having a big house, nice car, clothes, jewelry. Consumerism generally, it’s an addiction. A habit that’s hard to break. An obsession with possession. You get one life. I want to say that it’s about each other, noticing more than just the immediate environment–it’s about love and support. When you die, it won’t matter what possessions you had during your lifetime, it’s the impact you have on the lives of other people who will keep living on within them,” she explained.
An Interest in Eyes
People say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. This is one reason why Bolli Blas has a long interest in the eyes and why it eventually became emphasized in her artworks.
“The eyes are the medium through which we experience everything that is visually beautiful. The pupils in the eyes can either dilate or contract to the size of a pinhead. When dilated, they seem to be absorbing every little detail of the world around them. Like black holes, attracting everything within their orbit with an irresistible gravitational pull. Also, the use of black enhances the brightness of the other colors. I like to use vibrant colors in my work and the wide-eyed Bollis hopefully enhance the other detail and colors in the picture,” she said.
Where She Got Her Love for Painting
Although having established her art style after quitting her corporate job and traveling around the world, Bolli Blas has always loved painting ever since she was young.
“My parents taught me how to hold a brush and encouraged me to create. My Dad was really good at making things and always involved me in his projects. Every time I painted something new, he used to frame it and display it right in the living room,” she recalled.
The Polish artist added that she has also tried other art forms of expressing herself in the past, including singing and writing. Unfortunately, she didn’t perform too well at either. This then solidified her position as a painter.
“I love the colors and the ritual of painting which is very therapeutic for me. I can spend hours painting and it gives me the feeling of being in the present, a feeling of happiness,” Bolli Blas said.
Learn more about Bolli Blas through her Instagram account.
