EMIL OSKAR ANSWERS THE KITTEN LIFE QUESTIONNAIRE
Emil Oskar is the creator behind one of our favourite Instagram accounts, @daily_paintings.
A journalist for one of Sweden's biggest commercial television channels, TV4, Emil's foray into chronicling paintings for the insta-realm was a way for him to reconnect with his love of art history.
In August 2015, he started the account by posting one painting each day to fill a personal need of wanting to make his feed feel, in his words, "alive." He soon doubled and then quadrupled his efforts, and now posts 4-5 times/day, to over 25,000 followers.
“I’ve learnt more about art from Daily Paintings than from studying art at university - for real.
And it’s not because I sit with books and read about artists every day, it’s because I get exposed to art and artists every day.
When you start looking at art regularly, and seeing paintings from the various art movements, you’ll start to understand that ‘ah, this is the difference between impressionism and post-impressionism’ or, ’life at the cabaret is a classic Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec motif,’ and so on.
I love to talk about art with my followers so that we together can interpret the paintings together. But even though I feel grateful for every single person that follows my account (really, thank you!), I must say that even if I only had one follower I’d continue with Daily Paintings because now art has really become a lovely part of my everyday life.”
Moving forward, he has big plans to bring the "aliveness" of his digital imprint to real-life cities.
As a frequent traveller he sees a void in the many cities he visits in terms of their museums and the information that exists both for tourists, and for the citizens.
Like many people, he finds the suggestions on sites like TripAdvisor to be monotonous and touristy. To fill the gap, he'd like to give tours of the different museums around the world through his profile. Deep dives into the museums to bring the museum to life, and encourage new visitors. He's currently looking for partnerships and opportunities to work with institutions to create something really special.
Follow @daily_paintings on Instagram to add a fresh breath of art to your scrolling, and read his answers to The Kitten Life Questionnaire below.
The Kitten Life Questionnaire x Emil Oskar (@daily_paintings)
1. What is your present state of mind?
My wife and I are expecting our first child so my current state of mind is waiting. I feel that my life will be starting again in a month or so.
2. What’s your sign?
Sagittarius.
3. What is your favourite vice?
Travel.
4. Puppies or kittens?
Puppies! My dog could fit into my hand when she was a puppy. I just love how puppies, kitties and small children notice everything. When we get older we start to exclude things from our field of vision. It’s like point-and-click adventure games of the 90’s – for puppies, toddlers etc. everything is clickable. When my dog saw a shoe when she was a puppy, she saw a toy, when children see a stick they see a wand, a paint brush or a gun.
5. What is your most prized possession?
I’d say my diaries. I actually have a bank vault where I store all my diaries as I’m afraid to lose them due to a lot of moving.
6. If you could be any plant what would you be?
Eucalyptus. My wife is taking a florist course and I love when she does an arrangement with eucalyptus. With that being said, hyacinth is one of my top 3 favourite scents.
7. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Early summer mornings with a mug of coffee on a lake cabin porch with my family. Listening to the birds, watching my dog play.
8. What’s the first thing you would buy if you moved into a new space?
A guitar or a piano.
9. What is your favourite colour?
Yellow.
10. If you could teleport at exactly this moment, where would you go?
Rural Japan.
11. What’s your recurring dream/nightmare?
Sorry, none.
12. What piece of art has made an impression on you?
I’d say that ”Mme Kupka among Verticals” by Frantisek Kupka really struck me when I saw it at the Museum of Modern Art in 2009. At that time I had no idea who Kupka was but it was really a revelation for me. In that painting he’s combining abstract painting with expressionism in a great way. Also, seeing (Swedish artist) Anders Zorn’s paintings "in the flesh” really amazed me. I grew up seeing reproductions and images of his paintings but seeing the real deal really blew my mind. The paintings looks so ALIVE.
13. What’s the most romantic experience you’ve had?
Romance is everything for me. I try to create romantic situations every day although the first thing that came to my mind reading that question was a recollection from Burma/Myanmar a year back. Me and my wife were in Bagan (google it!), watching a slow sunset from a temple rooftop. When the sun was set and the sky was all pink, we drove over the sand dunes with our electric motorbike, I remember feeling bliss.
14. What is the smell of sex?
Damp soil.
15. What do you wish you could relive?
My wedding day.
16. What is consciousness?
Thinking.
”Fun” fact: Descartes died in Stockholm in 1650. He caught pneumonia in the cold and draughty castle where he gave lessons to Queen Christina.
17. Who do you most admire?
People who manage to make everyday life beautiful.
18. What is your advice for future generations?
Take slow walks in the sunrise. Take deep breaths. Learn from Young Werther to listen to the ”little worlds” in the grass. Enjoy colour, music and textures. Watch sports as live drama, works of art in the making.
19. What is the meaning of life?
Simple, beautiful days