Laura Kočnik | Interview
Pictured: Artist Laura Kočnik and the process of a painting
“ I would like viewers to carry with them a feeling of warmth, calm, and a sense of wonder. I hope my work offers a small moment of escape and an invitation to reconnect with imagination, nature, and the quiet beauty found in simple, intimate spaces.
”
In Laura Kočnik’s paintings, a small house sits within an expansive natural world. It offers a point of human presence in landscapes shaped by light, colour and imagination. For the Slovenia-based artist, the house carries ideas of shelter and belonging, while the surrounding environment leaves room for viewers to bring their own memories to the scene.
Kočnik begins by observing details in nature, then develops them into places that feel both familiar and imagined. In this interview with The Alchemical Art Space, she discusses how composition and atmosphere can make space for stillness, curiosity and personal interpretation.
How would you describe your artistic practice at this point in your artistic journey?
At this point in my artistic journey, my practice is centered on creating immersive, emotionally resonant worlds inspired by nature. I am interested in the ways landscapes, plants, light, and natural elements can be transformed into spaces that evoke warmth, comfort, and a sense of wonder. Rather than simply representing nature, I use it as a starting point for building imagined environments that exist somewhere between reality and fantasy.
What feels most central to your work right now?
What feels most central to my work right now is exploring the relationship between nature, imagination, and emotional experience. I am interested in creating scenes that invite the viewer into quiet, dreamlike environments where they can pause, reflect, and experience a sense of warmth, comfort, and wonder. Nature is both my inspiration and my visual language. Rather than documenting landscapes as they are, I transform them into intimate, atmospheric spaces that blur the line between reality and fantasy. Through light, color, composition, and carefully constructed settings, I aim to create immersive worlds that evoke nostalgia, curiosity, and a feeling of gentle escape from everyday life. At the heart of my practice is the desire to offer viewers an emotional experience rather than a fixed narrative. I want my work to feel like stepping into a place that is familiar yet imagined. I hope these environments encourage people to reconnect with their own memories, emotions, and sense of imagination.
Pictured (above): Painting ‘Among the Cypresses’ (Acrylic On Canvas)
What themes, ideas, or questions are you currently exploring through your work?
My work explores how atmosphere can shape emotional experience. Through carefully composed scenes, I aim to create moments of stillness that invite viewers to slow down. I am drawn to the idea that art can provide a temporary refuge. At this stage, I see my practice as an ongoing process of experimentation and discovery. I continue to explore new ways of constructing visual narratives while deepening my relationship with the natural world.
Tell us about the works you are presenting with The Alchemical Art
The work I am presenting explores the relationship between nature and imagination by creating a scene that exists somewhere between reality and fantasy. Rather than documenting a real landscape, I wanted to build an environment that feels emotionally familiar. The composition is carefully constructed using natural elements, with particular attention to light, color, and texture. These elements are brought together to create a harmonious space that invites contemplation rather than offering a fixed narrative. I am interested in how small details can transform an ordinary natural setting into something magical and emotionally resonant.
The title reflects the idea of transformation…how everyday elements found in nature can become something poetic through imagination. My creative process involves carefully observing the natural world and then reinterpreting it through composition and visual storytelling, allowing reality and fantasy to merge into a single image.
What I hope viewers notice is not only the visual details but also the emotional atmosphere of the work. Rather than searching for one specific meaning, I invite them to spend time with the image and experience it in their own way. If the work can evoke a feeling of comfort, curiosity, nostalgia, or quiet escape, then it has achieved its purpose.
Pictured: ‘Where the Sun Rests’ (Acrylic On Canvas, 20x20cm) by Laura Kočnik
How does your process usually begin, and how does a work develop?
My process usually begins with an observation, feeling, or visual detail that captures my attention in the natural world. I am often inspired by the atmosphere of a place, the quality of light, textures, colors, or small natural elements that carry a certain emotional presence. From these initial impressions, I begin to imagine a scene and explore how it could be transformed into a more dreamlike and intimate environment. As the work develops, I focus on building a sense of atmosphere and creating a space that feels emotionally inviting. I experiment with composition, materials, and visual elements to find a balance between what feels familiar and what feels imagined. I am interested in creating scenes that appear as if they could exist somewhere between memory, nature, and fantasy.
The process is often intuitive and guided by exploration rather than following a fixed plan. I allow the work to evolve gradually, responding to the elements that emerge and adjusting the composition until the overall feeling of the piece feels complete.
Are there particular materials, gestures, symbols, places, or visual languages that are especially important to you?
In this work, the small house surrounded by nature is an important visual and symbolic element. I am drawn to the contrast between the human-made structure and the organic world around it. The house represents a sense of shelter, intimacy, and belonging, while the surrounding landscape creates a feeling of connection, openness, and harmony with nature.
The natural environment plays a central role in creating the atmosphere of the piece. Elements such as plants, light, textures, and the quiet presence of the landscape help to build a space that feels warm, peaceful, and slightly dreamlike. I am interested in the idea of a small, hidden place within nature…a space that feels personal, safe, and almost like a scene from a memory or a fairytale.
The visual language of the work is rooted in softness, simplicity, and atmosphere. Rather than focusing only on the physical appearance of the house, I want it to evoke an emotional response and invite viewers to imagine the story behind the place. The house becomes a symbol of comfort and a connection between human presence and the natural world.
What does visibility, exhibition, or being featured mean to you at this stage of your practice?
Visibility is important because it allows my ideas and artworks to reach new audiences. At this At this stage of my practice, visibility and exhibition opportunities represent a chance to share the emotional world behind my work and create a connection with viewers. My work often focuses on creating quiet, intimate spaces inspired by nature, and I value the opportunity for these spaces to be experienced by others beyond my own creative process.
Being featured or exhibited is meaningful to me because it allows the work to enter into a dialogue with different people, each bringing their own memories, emotions, and interpretations.
Visibility is not only about recognition, but about building a deeper relationship with an audience and becoming part of a wider artistic conversation. I see exhibitions as opportunities to continue learning, to share my perspective, and to create moments where viewers can slow down, reconnect with their imagination, and experience a sense of warmth and wonder through my work
What advice would you give to other artists?
My advice for other artists would be to trust their own perspective and allow their work to develop at its own pace. I believe that the most meaningful work often comes from paying attention to what genuinely inspires us and from being open to curiosity, experimentation, and discovery. It is important not to compare your creative journey with others, but instead to focus on building a visual language that feels authentic to you. Small details, personal experiences, and moments that might seem ordinary can become powerful sources of inspiration when approached with intention and sensitivity. I would also encourage artists to embrace the process itself, including uncertainty and change. Growth often happens through exploration, mistakes, and unexpected directions. Staying connected to the reason why you create and continuing to nurture that sense of wonder can help your work remain honest and meaningful.
What would you like viewers to carry with them after encountering your work?
I would like viewers to carry with them a feeling of warmth, calm, and a sense of wonder. I hope my work offers a small moment of escape and an invitation to reconnect with imagination, nature, and the quiet beauty found in simple, intimate spaces.
Artist Biography
In my art, I explore the beauty of nature and its fusion with an idealized, dreamlike world. Inspired by landscapes, light, and the sense of peace found in nature, I transform these elements into spaces of inner harmony.
An important element in my work is the small house, which symbolizes home, warmth, and a sense of belonging. Through this motive, I invite the viewer to experience feelings of comfort, tranquility and a place to pause, reflect, and reconnect with both nature and themselves.
My paintings are invitations into a world where reality blends with imagination.