Bankside Hotel x Contemporary Collective welcomed painter and illustrator Kate Matsevych to the Art Yard Studio as their Autumn Artist in Residence. Vicky Lewis went to visit to explore the work she has created and find out how DegreeArt support and manage the collaboration.
Kate Matsevych’s studio as Artist in Residence at Bankside Hotel is a celebration of colour, shape and, primarily, women. Influenced by the women who raised her, particularly her fashion-designer godmother, her creations are a statement of positivity and a dedication of love. Through her creations, she aims to convey the remarkable aura, warmth, and love that emanate from women. For Kate, a woman is much more than a mother or the soul of a family; she represents a powerful, intelligent, and courageous being, capable of achieving extraordinary feats.
Kate’s artistic vision seeks to encapsulate the multifaceted nature of women, highlighting their resilience, complexity, and indomitable spirit. Her works serve as a testament to the inherent beauty and strength found within the feminine essence. By portraying women in her art, Kate aims to inspire and empower others, encouraging them to recognise and embrace their own inherent greatness.
I asked Kate, and DegreeArt’s Isobel Beauchamp, about the residency at the hotel. Isobel explained: “We are the art partner of Bankside Hotel, and we manage the artists and the residency space. We work to connect the top emerging artists from UK and international art universities with hotel guests, collectors, hoteliers and art enthusiasts who would not otherwise have access to those artists’ work.”
In the studio from 2nd October 2023 to 12th January 2024, Kate has utilised the experience to share her stunning paintings with hotel guests and the London passers-by.
I wanted to find out about her history, her education and ultimately, where she draws her inspiration from.
“I grew up in Ukraine and was raised by my godmother who is an incredibly successful fashion designer. I spent my childhood around her creations, and she has really influenced my own creativity. I studied art at school and then, perhaps as part of a teenage rebellion, moved to Moscow to explore my Russian roots. My father is from Russia, and I thought I would feel at home there – I chose to study Economics, but it wasn’t for me and then I returned to my artistic side and began to work as a make-up artist.”
Kate continued this creative line of work over the next few years as she travelled the globe with her husband. She arrived in London in 2015 but the now-familiar story of the Covid19 pandemic halting work and changing lives had a resounding impact on Kate.
“The work stopped. I couldn’t work as a make-up artist during the pandemic and I found myself with time. So, I began painting.” And it was this that led to the career path Kate has now found herself on.
DegreeArt.com (sister gallery of Contemporary Collective) select and manage the artists and the residency space at Bankside Hotel and they have been their art partner since its inception in 2018, helping to establish the venue as the art hotel on Southbank. The company also run an exhibition program hosted in the hotel’s White Box, a stunning events space. Their artists, who have previously had a residency at Bankside’s Art Yard Studio are featured throughout the hotel from photography, sculpture and landscape, to portraits, still life and special restaurant dish collaborations with the head chef at Bankside’s Art Yard restaurant. It is this collaboration that awarded Kate the opportunity to become part of the DegreeArt family of celebrated artists across the hotel.
I asked Kate about her work – how her upbringing has influenced her and where else she draws inspiration from: “Women are my main inspiration – as you can see, I focus on the female form and the beauty of women. Since I have been in residence here, I have also drawn inspiration from the hotel interiors. You can see the patterns of cushions, wallpaper and other soft furnishings recreated as the background in many of my newer pieces. I look for inspiration within the design of the hotel to create even more unique pieces.”
As we browsed the paintings in the studio, my eyes rested upon a piece entitled ‘Motherland’, an acrylic on canvas displaying a simple yet striking female body. The body, although it is not embellished with facial features, is a strong-shouldered square-facing form, yet it is one particular detail that draws my attention. The display of sunflowers encircling the circumference of the left breast of the figure, in shades of bright yellow and complemented by a spray of pure white flowers stands out against the muted neutral and mocha tones of the rest of the painting. I asked about its significance: “It’s Ukraine. The sunflower is the official flower of Ukraine and I painted this as a dedication to and with inspiration from my home, my motherland.”
The significance of the painting, considering current political events, was not lost on me and I found it truly moving. Definitely a favourite of the whole collection for me.
I was curious about the process Kate experiences when creating these pieces – what is the timescale she works to when designing her next piece? “Weeks!” she said with a smile. “I start with sketching which takes a few days, before I move onto the painting part which takes several, depending on the size of the canvas. Then, if I am doing any of the digital art as an extra, that takes further time too.”
I asked if she always knows when she is ‘finished’. She laughed: “Never. My husband is good at telling me when it is enough. And he always likes different pieces to me – I will say to him that I don’t like a piece, or I think there isn’t enough in a piece, but then that is always one that he says is his favourite and usually sells first!”
I asked if she had a favourite piece: “Not one favourite, although the one I am doing now I think will be.” The piece she is referring to is one that is on a much larger scale than any of the others in the studio. “This one is going to have patterns inspired by the chair I sit on here in the Bankside studio.” She pointed to a beautiful geometric patterned chair in the corner of the room. “This will be the pattern on the women’s swimsuits for this painting.”
Those who visit the studio will, I’m sure, find favourites among the pieces of her work that feature the incredibly clever and creative augmented reality technology. The technology allows those interacting with the piece to scan a QR code in the corner of the painting, that then brings up an Instagram filter which adds layers and additional detail to the painting when viewed on their phone or device. I couldn’t hide my amazement when she demonstrated this with a number of the paintings in the studio! A beautiful piece showing a close up of a woman’s profile, with her hand masking the left side of her face in a bold sage green tone can be scanned, only for the augmented reality to show incredible changes in colour, a vast display of sunflowers and coloured ribbon falling from the woman’s hair displaying positive affirmations – ‘You are brave…You are smart.’
I asked Kate about what inspired her to incorporate this ingenious and creative medium within her pieces: “I saw it used by another artist on a much bigger scale to show a figure in the painting moving and I thought it was amazing. I then started experimenting with it in all of my pieces, most people are amazed and love the extra dimension it brings to the painting. Not everyone is a fan though and they feel the paintings were beautiful as they were. But that is the beauty, you can have the best of both worlds and it is definitely a popular feature with lots of people who have visited the gallery.” I agreed – you could absolutely see this becoming a real talking point as a piece of art in a communal space, or even in someone’s home.
I was curious to find out how it is created. Kate explained: “My husband has helped me with the technology of it, but I draw it on an iPad using specialist software and use a stylus to create the lines and shapes I want. We then created a filter on Instagram which works through a QR code that I just put next to the image.” This technique truly brings Kate’s pieces to life and adds another dimension of creativity and exceptional innovation to her work.
Finally, we discussed her future plans. With all that she has achieved over the last few months and years, what is happening next, both in terms of the work she plans to produce and where this travelling artist might find herself living? “I think I will be in London. I have an end of residency showcase in January when my time at Bankside comes to an end, but I will continue to be with DegreeArt. I am hoping to start to explore some work with textiles. I have loved the inspiration I have got from the patterns in the hotel and I want to do some more work with that, maybe layering it over canvases as part of the pieces I create.”
Isobel, DegreeArt’s director and co-founder, explained that Kate will continue to work with the gallery and her art will feature in upcoming art fairs and exhibitions as part of the company’s sable of working artists: “Her work will continue to feature in Bankside Hotel, both within the White Box space and across the various communal, drinking and eating spaces. We leave a legacy from all our artists in residence, so their work can continue to be enjoyed by guests.”
And then we parted, after laughing and sharing anecdotes about our mutual love of all things musicals and Harry Potter, but I truly hope this is not the last I will see of Kate’s astonishing work.
