We reached out to Ainhoa Montánchez, who spent cherished summers in a Spanish fishing port, about the subjects in her alluring paintings. Now based in Melbourne, Australia, she met us on Zoom at 11 p.m. her time, coffee in hand—because although Ainhoa (pronounced “I-know-a”) seeks beauty in the everyday, she is a self-proclaimed night owl.
Alice Garbarini Hurley: What inspires your paintings?
Ainhoa Montánchez: I was born and raised in Bilbao, in northern Spain, but during summers, when I didn’t travel with my parents and older brother, I went to Lekeitio, a picturesque fishing village. I remember how the sailors would return home after months at sea and the fishmongers sold fresh fish in the port. With its “Slow City” label and coastal authenticity, it has become one of my major sources of inspiration. I love to feel present in the moment, in nature. I love the coast. I love fishermen. I love hats. I’m drawn to older people. When you are older, you don’t worry so much about what people think of you. The Mediterranean holds a special place in my heart. That’s why you can find women with a nostalgic and Mediterranean air in my work.
Alice: Do you let the subjects know you’re taking a photo on your phone and plan to paint them?
Ainhoa: No. If I tell them, they start posing. The art comes when they don’t realize you’re taking a photo. I don’t ask for permission because I always change the faces anyway. Sometimes I add a moustache, or a hat. I might see old men having dinner, enjoying a glass of wine, and I suddenly see the painting. I need to be present to see these characters. My images are inspired by life itself. I think it’s the best way to show people the beauty and simplicity of everyday life and capture the essence and charisma that the people I see dancing, playing the guitar, fishing or simply contemplating a sunset transmit to me. It is those little things that connect us with the present.
Alice: What kind of fish are in your paintings?
Ainhoa: I invented the fish. I feel super-free painting them. Maybe one person will say ‘That’s a salmon’ and another person will say ‘That’s a shark.’ We will have to ask the fishermen.
Alice: What do you love about the sea?
Ainhoa: It is mysterious for me. I love mystery. With fishermen, I feel that they have a lot of stories to tell. We don’t know almost anything about the sea. We think that we do but we don’t. It’s like a book with no words. It needs to be written. My paintings fill in some of the words.
Alice: What’s next?
Ainhoa: I have been using acrylics for the past three years. Lately, I´m feeling curious to try and play with new materials, such as oil pastels and ink. I’m also thinking of starting to share my journey as a personal blog. I haven’t written more than in my notebook yet, but I have plans to launch the blog on my website. Follow me on Instagram—that’s where I started selling my paintings.
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