My Artistic Practice
My name is Katka Hubacek. Stemming from my love of theatre and storytelling, my work is highly narrative. Recurring motifs I find myself exploring are fairy tales and feelings of loneliness. I generally explore these through a central character which is either a little girl or young woman. My illustration style is classic watercolor. I can be delicate with an almost bold color palette. It’s current with a touch of old school charm.
Bio
I was born in Switzerland to Czech parents. We moved to Canada when I was 3 years old and I grew up in the country near Sutton in the Eastern Townships. As a happy introvert I spent summer days playing in mud puddles trying to catch frogs and butterflies. Even as a young girl I had a strong resolve to be myself which wasn’t very popular with the other kids at school. Drawing was my refuge and my parents always encouraged my artist abilities. At the age of 15 I had the amazing opportunity to spend the summer in Prague with a family of professional puppeteers. I was bewitched by how magical the craft of building marionettes was. What also struck me was the amount of skilled craftsmen I saw all over the city. The level of workmanship was stunning. I then decided to go to theatre school in Montreal and it was eye opening. I remember thinking “So this is were all the “different” people go!”. I finally fit in. In theatre school through the exploration of Chekov and other Slavic plays, I began to really connect with my Czech heritage and it continues to inspire my work.
I graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada in Scenography in 1996 and from the Costume Studies Program at Dalhousie University in 1998. This led me to work as a freelance Set & Costume designer in theatre, film and commercials for over 10 years. I soon realized that I really wanted a more hands on artistic outlet. At first I combined my various abilities and skills and started producing plush dolls. I applied to my first Craft Shows in 2008. I stopped working as a Scenographer and focused my energy on my own work. With the birth of my two children my crafting days came to a stop. I had to find little moments to create. Illustration was that outlet. I called this fairy tale world of mine Katkaland.