Where Motherhood Meets the Canvas
‘Night Breezes Seem to Whisper I Love You,’ by Ina Carla Cierniak. Acrylic, canvas. Size 89 x 95 x 2 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
Hamburg-based artist Ina Carla Cierniak creates paintings that radiate peace and joy. Her colorful and expressive canvases burst with feminine energy and layers of vibrant hues, inviting us to embrace life’s positivity.
She employs a distinctive technique that creates delicate watercolor effects, highlighted with opaque colors. “When I paint, I feel like I’m looking for treasure,” she explains. “Instead of digging deeper and deeper, I layer layer upon layer of colors on top of each other.”
Born in 1980 in Germany, Cierniak grew up surrounded by nature’s beauty, and with an early enthusiasm for painting. As a teen, she joined the flourishing Heidelberg graffiti scene, discovering her passion for large-scale and bold formats.
Eventually she studied fashion design and worked as a make-up artist for more than 15 years, but she finally followed her heart in 2020, devoting herself to painting full time.
Join us for an exclusive interview with this talented artist, as she shares her journey with art and motherhood and how they intertwine to make something uniquely beautiful.
The dynamic artist Ina Carla Cierniak.
‘Mother and Child Underneath the Full Moon,’ by Ina Carla Cierniak. Acrylic, oil pastel, colored pencil, metallic marker, canvas. 30 x 40 x 2 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
For me, motherhood is a journey. The unconditional love that came with motherhood is indescribable. A kind of connection that I didn't know before. I am very grateful that I was able to become a mother and I also believe that I draw a lot from it for my art.
However, it is as simple as: the basic need is love and compassion. I need both as a mother and as an artist at the same time. It is what we all need most as a human to be able to live in peace with one another here on this beautiful planet.
‘Eden,’ by Ina Carla Cierniak. Acrylic, canvas. 120 x 130 x 2 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
When I look back and realize that art has always been with me in one form or another, has always surrounded me, then I realize that I just had to get into making art. One of my first memories of art is from my early childhood. My mother painted the most beautiful pictures in my eyes. Simply free, abstract or even small drawings like in children's books. It seemed to me that she could paint just about anything. That really impressed me and stayed with me.
I kept meeting people from the art scene that I admired. But my career remained a dream that I didn't take seriously. Actually, I've always painted for myself in the background, but it took until 2020 for me to dare to show my art. Initially only online via Instagram and my homepage. Since then, there has been no standing still.
‘Mother and Child at Noon,’ by Ina Carla Cierniak. Acrylic, canvas. 30 x 40 x 2 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
Art has accompanied me throughout my life, but I believe that I am only now beginning to understand it. When I immerse myself in my studio and completely get into the flow of intuitively painting, the world suddenly seems so simple, so loving and united.
It feels like a big hug, a warm blanket. A place where I want to be.
‘Receiving Love,’ by Ina Carla Cierniak. Acrylic, colored pencil, gold leaf, canvas. 30 x 40 x 2 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
Truly, each piece inspires peace in their viewers, and takes us all on a journey of love, tenderness, whether it be present, past or the future.
Enjoy the rest of Ina’s art here:
‘Mother and child in serenity,’ by Ina Carla Cierniak. Acrylic, canvas. 100 x 120 x 2 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
‘Mother and child drowsing at midday,’ by Ina Carla Cierniak. Acrylic, colored pencil, canvas. 30 x 40 x 2 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
‘Mother and child dreaming of angel wings,’ by Ina Carla Cierniak. Acrylic, oil pastels, canvas. 30 x 40 x 2 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
‘Mother and child are snoozing at noon,’ by Ina Carla Cierniak. Acrylic, oil pastels, colored pencil, metallic marker, canvas. 30 x 40 x 2 cm. Courtesy of the artist.
