HELLO DOMINIKA, IT’S A PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU INTO THE 4BYSIX FAMILY ON OUR CURRENT VEHICLES FOR CHANGE INITIATIVE. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT YOUR ART PRACTICE AND THE NEW PIECE YOU HAVE MADE FOR THIS SPECIAL COLLABORATION. 

TO START, YOUR WORK OFTEN FEELS DEEPLY PERSONAL WHILE ADDRESSING BROADER EXPERIENCES OF GIRLHOOD AND FEMININITY. CAN YOU TAKE US BACK TO THE VERY START OF YOUR ARTISTIC JOURNEY AND TELL US WHAT FIRST DREW YOU TO PAINTING AS A WAY OF EXPLORING THESE THEMES?

Painting has always been the most natural way for me to express myself. I started drawing as a child of course, but over time I realized I was using painting to understand my own experiences of growing up as a girl. My work is rooted in personal memories, yet it explores broader themes of femininity, vulnerability, and the ways female bodies are perceived. I’m interested in the tension between the idealized image of girlhood and its more complex, often unsettling reality, and painting allows me to hold those contradictions in one space.

CAN YOU TELL US HOW MUCH OF YOUR IMAGERY IS DRAWN DIRECTLY FROM PERSONAL REFERENCES AND WHAT EMERGES THROUGH IMAGINATION AND SYMBOLISM DURING THE PAINTING PROCESS? 

Most of my paintings begin with personal memories, emotions, or observations, but they are never literal representations of my life. As I paint, these references blend with imagination and symbolism, creating scenes with an almost thriller-like atmosphere. I’m interested in that feeling of quiet tension, where something unsettling seems to have happened, or is about to happen. This allows the work to move beyond autobiography and invite viewers into a psychological, emotionally charged space.

WHEN DEVELOPING A COMPOSITION AND ITS COLOUR PALETTE, DO YOU BEGIN WITH SPECIFIC MEMORIES, PHOTOGRAPHS, OR OBSERVATIONS FROM YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE?

My compositions usually begin with fragments rather than a single memory. I draw inspiration from old Czechoslovak films and fairy tales, nature, myths, girlhood, bedrooms, and intimate female spaces filled with everyday objects. I often collect photographs, snapshots, and visual references, then combine them into imagined scenes. Through colour and composition, these familiar elements become slightly uncanny, creating a space that feels both nostalgic and unsettling.

AS RECURRING MOTIFS, LIKE RIBBONS, CHERRIES, AND RABBITS CARRY SYMBOLIC WEIGHT SUCH AS INNOCENCE, DESIRE, AND TRANSFORMATION, DO THESE ASSOCIATIONS STEM FROM SPECIFIC CULTURAL OR ARTISTIC INFLUENCES?

Some of these motifs carry widely recognized meanings, but I'm more interested in how their symbolism shifts depending on the context.  Objects like ribbons, cherries, rabbits, or porcelain animals become emotional symbol. They can suggest innocence, desire, vulnerability, or even danger. I like familiar objects that appear comforting at first but gradually reveal a darker, more ambiguous meaning.

YOU RECENTLY MADE A NEW PIECE FOR 4BYSIX’S VEHICLES FOR CHANGE INITIATIVE ON REPURPOSED LORRY TARPAULIN. CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU FOUND THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON THIS UNCONVENTIONAL CANVAS?

It wasn't easy. From preparing the surface to painting on the tarpaulin itself, the whole process was very different from what I'm used to. I normally work on traditional canvas, which absorbs the oil paint and has a textured surface, so this was a real challenge. At the same time, I was excited to try something new. I really enjoyed how the tarpaulin resisted absorbing the paint and instead let it slide across the surface. It felt playful and unpredictable, and I had a lot of fun experimenting with it.

BE IT THEME, REFERENCE OR COMPOSITION, WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS NEW PIECE? DID 4BYSIX’S CREATIVE AND SOCIAL ETHOS, OR THE MATERIAL ITSELF, SPARK ANY INSPIRATION?

I really admire what you guys stands for. Today, it's rare to find people who think beyond themselves, especially in the art world. It can often be a place of competition, comparison, and jealousy. These are, of course, very human qualities, but I also believe that every person carries a sense of playfulness and kindness alongside the desire to succeed or to be loved. That idea became the starting point for this painting. I chose to depict a woman playfully sticking out her tongue, with scraped knees, crawling in a field of daisies. The image balances innocence with defiance, reflecting the contradictions we all carry within us. In many ways, both the project's ethos and the unconventional material encouraged me to think about transformation, resilience, and the possibility of giving something,or someone, a second life.

PRIOR TO WORKING WITH 4BYSIX, IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THEMES OF VULNERABILITY, TRANSFORMATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS SOMETHING THAT HAS CONSCIOUSLY ENTERED YOUR WORK, OR DO YOU SEE YOURSELF EXPLORING THIS MORE DIRECTLY IN THE FUTURE?

Themes of vulnerability and transformation have always been at the core of my work, but environmental awareness has never been my primary focus. Working with 4BYSIX made me think differently about materials and their potential. I found the idea of giving discarded tarpaulin a second life very inspiring, and it's something I'd be interested in exploring further. I don't see it as a shift in my practice, but rather as another meaningful layer that can support the stories I want to tell.

FINALLY, CAN YOU TELL US HOW YOU ARE AND HOW LIFE HAS BEEN TREATING YOU IN THE STUDIO RECENTLY? ARE THERE NEW IDEAS, MEDIUMS, OR DIRECTIONS YOU’RE HOPING TO EXPLORE IN ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS?

I've been spending a lot of time in the studio recently, and it feels like my work is moving into a darker direction. I'm becoming increasingly interested in horror film aesthetics, female rage, and the psychological tension that exists between beauty and fear. While my paintings have often been dominated by bright pinks and reds, I'm now experimenting with a darker, more muted palette to create a stronger sense of unease. I'm excited to see where this shift takes me, while staying true to the themes of girlhood, femininity, and emotional vulnerability that have always been at the heart of my practice.