Aylin Graalmann |
Aya Art
When fruity notes of strawberry meet delicately tart Japanese matcha, the result is a flavour that takes you by surprise. It is precisely this interplay that is also reflected in the art of Aylin Graalmann.
For our limited-edition ‘Matcha Strawberry’ collection, we are collaborating for the first time with the Essen-based artist, whose works are characterised by vibrant colours and a distinctive lightness.
Aylin trained as an interior designer and, in 2024, made a conscious decision to move into freelance art – a shift from interior design to free composition on canvas. In her work, structure and intuition, planning and chance combine to create expressive worlds of colour. It is precisely this balance that makes her art so accessible and, at the same time, so fascinating.
VIVANI
Aylin, your work thrives on strong colour contrasts. Do you remember the moment when the idea for the ‘Matcha Strawberry’ artwork first came to you?
Aylin
In fact, I was standing in a newly opened café and matcha spot in Essen, where I immediately liked the interior design and noticed the empty wall behind the counter. As the rest of the interior was very minimalist/Japandi in style, with lots of oak, I thought to myself – how cool would some really vibrant pictures in matcha colours look there? So I went to my studio and, the next day, built two canvases and painted them matcha green.
VIVANI
You originally trained as an interior designer: what did you take away from that period that still influences your painting today?
Aylin
Most of all, it’s about colour composition and having a good eye for what a room needs. When I’m commissioned to create a piece, my clients often ask for my opinion and send me photos of their rooms so that I can better tailor the artwork and framing to their living space.
VIVANI
Your work emerges from the tension between control and chance. How much planning actually goes into a seemingly spontaneous image?
Aylin
Not that much, actually. Before I start a new painting, I generally just plan the canvas – which I then assemble and stretch myself – and come up with a rough colour scheme. But as soon as the first brushstrokes are on the canvas, the rest is really intuitive and can’t be planned. With commissioned work, things are a bit different, of course. I often receive reference images that have already won over the clients. In that case, I naturally base my work a bit more on the templates when it comes to composition and colours.
VIVANI
Matcha meets strawberry: If this combination were a feeling – what would it be for you, and how have you translated it into colours?
Aylin
For me, it evokes a sense of lightness – like a warm summer’s day with no obligations. Translated into colours: a fresh green for calm and clarity, combined with a vibrant strawberry red for energy and joie de vivre. To match the inspiration from the drink, this colour palette was then complemented with white for added lightness and freshness, and with shades of pink.
VIVANI
You’ve been working as a freelance artist since 2024. What has changed the most for you, creatively (and perhaps personally too)?
Aylin
The biggest change has been the freedom to manage my own time – this has also made me more creative and spontaneous. I really like that. I have more scope to try things out and develop ideas without a rigid framework. At the same time, my network has expanded because I’m making a conscious effort to connect with other freelancers and companies that fascinate me, which is really helping me grow both creatively and personally right now. Nevertheless, it’s worth mentioning that I’d love to devote much more of my time to the actual creative process if all the trappings of self-employment didn’t take up so much space. As a solo self-employed person, everything really does suddenly fall on your shoulders. I’d, for example, gladly hand over the bookkeeping and all the bureaucracy that goes with it straight away.
VIVANI
And of course, we can’t finish without asking about your favourite chocolate.
Aylin
I'm pretty simple when it comes to this. Dark chocolate with (any kind of) fruit. I tried VIVANI's Cranberry Chocolate recently and it was brilliant!
