With Tiarna Herczeg

Hello Tiarna, I’m so excited to pick your brain today, thanks so much for making time for us for this interview.

That's okay & yay I'm excited to chat.

What have you been up to today?

I’ve been unpacking my bags from being up in the NT, washing clothes & working on a grant… overall pretty relaxed day.

Oh lovely welcome back, how was your residency at Laundry Gallery?

Thank you! It was my first time up in the NT and I was super fortunate to be there having an exhibition ~ so I had a unique experience where I was able to feel comfortable & settled in from the start. Super cool.

Oh how beautiful, it’s always so lovely to almost feel like a local while you're visiting a new place. I’ve never been to the NT. Any tips for things I should do if I’m ever lucky enough to visit?

It definitely was a beautiful experience. I’d suggest going to Rapid Creek markets if you’re into food ~ they have lots of good Thai desserts & Vietnamese food , I’d also suggest going to Berry Springs. It's a 45 minute drive out of Darwin with three natural ( croc safe ) pools haha.

That all sounds heavenly! Did you notice a shift in your practice being up north and in a new environment?

Absolutely! My work is greatly influenced by my feelings. Which is why I don't listen to music whilst I work. I’m the type of person that will listen to sad music when I'm sad, to make myself sadder. haha 

I felt emotional during my residency because I was able to slow down. Realising how good it felt to be in the sun, by water, paint in a big sunlight studio & feel such lightness - it has brought upon a lot of reflection for how I move in Sydney. 

During the making of my works up in Darwin, I noticed how easy it was for me to embrace colour & create compositions that felt true to my own essence. So that was interesting. In recent times I think I have had a tendency to use colours that call you to stop, such as red oxide & black. But in this body of work the colours were very lively & energising. Makes sense

Wow, that's so interesting that you don’t listen to music while you create…I feel like that is quite rare but also completely makes sense for you to have quiet and stillness to be able to tap into your feelings. It sounds like it was a very impactful and inspiring time away for you.

Well I like to allow myself to just be when I'm painting. 

It was for sure!

Could you tell us a little more about yourself and your practice?

Yes, my name is Tiarna, I'm a proud Kuku Yalanji & Hungarian woman and Artist based in Sydney. I was born in western Sydney & spent most of my life in between there, the Blue Mountains and Rockhampton. 

I’m mostly a painter however I have interest in sound and sculpture too. My work can be described as abstract landscape. I work to disconnect from the idea of “painting” and use my practice as a way of connecting to myself. This manifests in me having a pretty relaxed nature around painting, as I just see it as an action & way for communicating. 

Because of this I would say my practice comes from a sense of urgency regarding my spiritual and cultural identity. Being someone with two very different identities ~ there is often a theme of home & belonging in my work.

Has “painting” always been your main medium and what is it about painting that stole your heart? You mentioned sound and sculpture too. Is that a new found love?

Always. I’ve always felt very comfortable painting. I think the freedom and lightness painting can have, has been attractive to me. I like to use acrylic for reasons similar to that. Acrylic paint sets quickly, helping me make a decision faster and so I feel overall once I am finished painting I'm capturing a moment in time as quickly as I can put a thought together. 

I’m always making behind the scenes, whatever it may be. I like painting but the bottom line is, I will never stop making. Hypothetically if someone told me Painting is banned! No one can ever paint again and it was serious. I’d use the same hands I paint with to make anything else. 

It's an urge to communicate & reflect upon my feelings & surroundings & the world. Not so much an urge to paint… Does that make sense? 

I think I could communicate what I need to using some cardboard and sticks, however I've spent a long time learning the language of painting, so I can get my point across quicker that way. I want to focus on these mediums so I can create shows that are more accessible and allow a wider audience to experience my expression & storytelling.

Wow I really love that, it makes absolute sense and I love that you are thinking about making your art more accessible.

How do you balance the instinctive, free-flowing nature of your painting process with the pressures of creating within the fast paced art world?

It can be a challenge. I've run myself into the ground multiple times. I work quite quickly & I'm often waiting for something to click or echo a memory or place to me. I have moments in between shows where I feel like nothing is working and in those times I remove myself and circle back to basics. 

Doing the things that make me feel good & also spending time doing basic activities such as collage & i try to make it completely unrelated to anything i’m working on because i’m not looking for inspiration, i’m often looking to feel less stressed. 

When I'm stressed or under pressure ( which is very very common) it impacts my work. So I need to have a clear mind! 

It's easy to say now well I can just turn off my phone, slow down or remove myself because my financial situation is a lot better than when I started my career. It's not easy running a business! It's exhausting, it's working 7 days a week, never shutting off, it's hard. 

I wouldn't even have any advice to give to my younger self because I had to push through all of that to get to this point. The only thing I feel like would have made it easier is literally having money haha. 

Overall I'd say taking care of yourself, saying no & realising it's a marathon not a race.

Was there a specific moment or experience that inspired you to shift into a more spiritual and intuitive practice or has it always been a big part of your art?

It's naturally always been a big part of my work. I’ve never really painted “ things or objects”. I've always had an interest in working the way I do. I think because of my identity and my upbringing I've always known & felt that what we see isn't all there is- so there has been this greater sense of purpose placed on myself and my surroundings.

Could you tell us a bit more about how your dual heritage as Kuku Yalanji and Hungarian has informed your practice?

Well I exist in a common yet unique place as someone with mixed identity. As my mother is Aboriginal and my father is a second gen immigrant. My beliefs and values which are tied to my identities impact the way I approach and think about my work. I see the world through my own lens, well everyone does really.

I find it interesting now as an Adult being able to unpack the complexities of my identity- for instance my Aboriginal family were forced to migrate, whereas my Eastern European family migrated to better their lives or how my family who are immigrants have been treated better in this country than my family who are Indigenous to this land. All of these things impact the way I paint & see the world.

Wow, that is quite a unique perspective.

What advice would you give someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Never stop experimenting & playing just because you've found something that works. Be open to continuous learning and learning about yourself too.

 Tell us about some meaningful milestones, what have been your most valued projects to date?

Last year was a huge year for me: I got the opportunity to exhibit at Sydney Contemporary and RM Williams in their new flagship store on George Street. 

I also got to paint a 200 sqm mural which I made with a mini roller brush in 5 days after getting my working with heights licence. I honestly love any opportunity I get to paint big & connect with people one on one.

This year has also had many meaningful milestones such as, releasing a collection of rugs, creating T-shirts where I was able to donate 100% of profits to First Nations organisations, lots of volunteering, two solo shows , two murals and I'm currently working towards two more major projects. One being an entire collection of works for a hotel in Hamilton Islands and another being my first international solo show in Budapest,  Hungary early next year. Crazy!

Oh my goodness with a mini roller brush! That is extremely impressive, your poor hand! 

Wow, an international show and in Hungary that is so special! Do you still have family there? 

My next and final question was going to be what’s next for you in life but you beat me to it 😉. I can’t wait to watch your next year unfold. It sounds like a big one!

hahaha, yes i got a blister on the first day. 

No family left in Hungary that I'm connected to. My family migrated here to Australia in the 1950s & the remainder to San Francisco. But very exciting! 

haha, yes lots to come luckily! 

Thank you so much for speaking with me

Thank you so much for sharing a glimpse into your life with us.