Elf Bread and Karolina Jarmalytė belt bag

Publication 2020

Bold colors, fluid lines, and abstract shapes lay the foundations of Karolina Jarmalytė’s work. The Vilnius-based artist creates contemporary abstract paintings and takes an experimental approach to her art: she’s used denim jackets and porcelain as her base too. Using acrylic paint, her favorite material, Karolina gave the Elf Bread belt bag a hand-painted upgrade.

Elf Bread: We admire your confident use of color and shape. What made you decide to start painting in particular?

Karolina Jarmalytė: Creativity has always been part of my life, it arouses my curiosity and encourages me to ask questions about the world. We probably don’t choose it, it chooses us.

EB: Your painted denim jacket is a statement piece, much like the leather bag you’ve created for us. When did you begin experimenting with clothes and accessories?

KJ: In 2016 I began painting on clothes, accessories, porcelain… even violin cases! The whole experience was new and interesting and it was well-received in the market. To me, it’s about bringing art closer to the viewer by transforming a painting into something practical and tangible.

EB: What does it feel like to work on leather? I’m talking about the Elf Bread belt bag in particular, of course.

KJ: Due to the smooth surface of the leather, the process is easy and therapeutic because the brush glides effortlessly.

EB: Of course, we can see how our smooth, natural leather would work as a great base. And how is painting on leather different from painting on canvas or fabric?

KJ: Both the technique and paint I use are different. Leather paint dries fairly quickly, so work needs to be done fast and without major deviations. The fabric has its own problems though – the brush doesn’t move as easily.

EB: Finally, what inspires you? What drives your creativity?

KJ: Probably inspiration just comes, and then you become a vessel through which creativity pours out, and it’s inspired by life, by discoveries and works of other artists, the audience’s feedback, and by your curiosity and the desire to discover something new.

Curious to find out more about Karolina's hand-painted belt bag for Elf Bread & The Artists Present: Creative Challenge collaboration? Check it out here.

Tags: #CREATIVITY ELF BREAD & KAROLINA JARMALYTE PRESENT: CREATIVE CHALLENGE FASHION NATURAL LEATHER SUSTAINABILITY