KRISTINA BILONICK

b. 1977, Washington D.C.

Kristina in her spacious studio stocked with a full kitchen, bathroom and darkroom.

Ever since she was five years old, Kristina wanted to be famous. Even her career path as a grade school child simply states “being famous”. And she is famous. Now, Kristina is a printmaker and designer living and working in Washington D.C. She is the Program Director at the Washington Project for the Arts and shows her work throughout the area and boasts her own line of clothing and accessories. We talked about her fame and her artwork at her Gold Leaf studio that she shares with two other artists (recently featured in the Washington Post) located in downtown DC. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/09/24/GA2009092402858.html

Above: Recent work "Kristina Says Relax", and Right, supplies and her art on the wall.

Below: Her most recent installation based and interactive piece was at Honfleur Gallery in Anacostia this past July 2009.

Drawings by gallery goers from Bilonick's show at Honfleur Gallery this past July 2009.

“The works in this show capture my fascination with fame as a child.” She gathered a lot of her inspiration from a journal she kept that expresses her desire to be famous. “Although a specific reason for this fame is never defined. The confidence that comes out in my early writings surprises me when I look back at it now. It makes me wonder if individuals start out with a certain amount of confidence and enthusiasm for life that is slowly weathered down by our surroundings, social situations, demands or pressure to succeed in some kind of traditional career.”

Her work for Honfleur comprised of a limited edition vintage book where she incorporated herself into the “how to” steps of drawing a face of herself as a young girl. By including herself into the pages with famous actors of the time period such as Burt Reynolds and Brooke Shields, she vicariously is able to relive her desire to become famous and in such a way that invites others to do it for her by having them go through all the necessary steps in this step-by-step process. See the video clip above of all the drawings from the gallery goers. Moreover, she ultimately rewrote history by creating a piece of evidence that proves she was amongst the stars. As her statement suggests, perhaps it is something we only possess so vigorously as a child and as we get older discover this desire can so easily be demystified by the daily events of adulthood. It’s poignant and absolutely honest.

Kristina writes: “Throughout my own personal journey, I continue to carry around a little of this ‘famous’ feeling I had when I was a child-like a lucky penny in my pocket….I think everyone deserves to feel a little famous in their own way, whether it be amongst family and friends or as a person who is active in their community.”

And she gives viewers the opportunity to further her cause by hand printing t-shirts with motifs and designs all inspired by her childhood as well as her current surroundings. Kristina’s work can be admired and purchased at this weekend’s Crafty Bastards Fair in Adams Morgan this Saturday, October 3, 2009. Watch the whole video clip above to see some of her amazing t-shirts and neckties that will be for sale at Crafty Bastards!

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/craftybastards

T-Shirts drying in a smaller space of her studio. The neck ties ready for sale!

Her two dimensional work on the wall with her shirts and neck ties.

Contact Kristina and see more of her work at www.kristinabilonick.net