UG: Hi Ginta! 
Ginta: Hi! Thank You for inviting me to the interview!

UG:  You are more than welcome! So, first of all, would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?
Ginta: I am an self taught artist. Could say that in some way I'm undergrounded as well. laughs For my works I'm using different types of art mediums. And I would say that most of my works are mix of darkness, emotions, eroticism, beauty and symbolysm.

UG: I can imagine it only took a small step from collecting dead animals, - which might be considered weird by some - to metal music?  laughs So which came first? Metal or collecting carcasses?
Ginta: laughs Carcasses came first. I remember I was 4 years old and I had red, flower patterned dress with front pocket, there I collected dead bugs and frogs. Metal came way later. But I found it very inspiring and releasing.

UG: What do you do besides Ginta Bane Art, like for a job or do you completely focus on your art? 
Ginta: Before I moved to Tallinn I was working as an engineer at watersupply company now in Tallinn I'm working in a bar on weekends, so I can have more time to focus on art.

UG: This some serious dedication! So, before going to "how exactly did it actually start to create art out of your findings", what kind of music hits your taste?
Ginta: I guess, like a lot of metalheads, I've gone through many stages. There is some kind of growth. At the time I started to listen something more heavier it was Slipknot and Korn time. Then came Death Metal time - something for energy after exhausting days at office. And at least black metal - which is more for emotions, inspiration and also energy. At some point I understood that my collection of bones and skulls has grown quite big for my place, sometimes people say that my place almost looks like a museum. laughs So the thought was, what can I do with them, how to use the material. How can I show to others that this is not creepy but a part of nature and it's beautiful.

UG: So pretty much the evolution of a metalhead as it should be! Can you remember an initial spark or maybe even the first piece you made, that you would consider to be "Ginta Bane Art"?
Ginta: Need to think a little bit. Have had quite productive 6 years. It could be work named "Skulls". Not surprising at all. laughs At that time tried out different media for drawing like graphite pencil, ink, coal... There were works named "Noise - Silence", "Touch" so as "Metal&Sex" which was my first sold original work. I slowly started to put up something on Facebook because of curiosity but mostly because it was one of the ways to show that I'm tired of hiding what I actually like and who I am. But posts reached more people then just my Facebook friends. So I got more followers abroad. And one day I got message from man living in Norvay, that he wants to buy this work. It was big for me, because I was living in town where I new only few, lets say, different thinking people, alternative people. And I guess that appreciation gave me this kick that I want to do this and hopefully more people will find my creations as the way of communication and understanding.

UG: And progress has been made! How did it came to be, that you could present your art at Howls Of Winter?
Ginta: Yes, right people at the right time has made it happen. Which I can say also about Howls Of Winter. And I'm very thankful to How Organizers for the opportunity. Some of my prints were also presented at 2 pervious HOW festivals and after asking if it's possible also this year, I got the offer for bigger space, so this time I could show a little bit of everything what I make.

UG: Personally, I really liked how you spiced up the available merch with your different pieces, how was the feedback from the crowd there - where there favourites?
Ginta: Thank You! People at the festival are definitely right audience for my works. And I had heard a lot of good words which gives a lot of energy to do more. They liked small sculptures in frames where I have included leather, clay, bones, skulls or bird feet. So as jewelry where I'm using same materials. Women liked this kind of dark hint in beautiful stuff. Men took necklaces with bird feet. From drawings favourites were works "Night", and "Breaking Point".

UG: As in the intro, I recall one of our guys bought a drawing of you while praising it as "dark, somewhat sexual and energetic". As it is said, "art is in the eye of the beholder". Where do you draw your inspiration from to create those pieces?
Ginta: The biggest inspiration are emotions and human nature. So as processes in nature and we are part of it. We all are quite dark creatures the only question is how much we want to know about ourselves how deep we want to look inside. Do we want to see it and feel it or hide it and pretend? I want to show that these so called dark things can be beautiful and very powerful. We just need to learn how to use this power.

UG: I believe besides this beauty, there are a lot of ugly things to discover within the human nature, which can maybe be seen as a two sided sword. Terror in all its beauty, beautiful terror. Basically as well the essence of most of metal genres. Could you dive a bit more into the process of actually creating an artpiece? Like how do you prepare the animals etc.?
Ginta: Yes, I agree. About the process of creating... Since I'm drawing and making fine art there are two kind of process. At first every work starts with inspiration, energy and emotions and then comes other part - releasing this energy. Physical work starts with choosing paper and media and there I rely on feeling, does it fit for mood I have at the time. Drawing for me is like a ritual. I have my workplace mostly black. It helps to focus and disappear at the same time. I love to have candles there. Most of the times music is on. And then can just dissappear into the work. At some point there is this feeling that it just flows, comes out. It's an amazing feeling. I never know how the work will look in the end. About fine art and bones - I always have knife, gloves and trash bags in my backpack with me. laughs Mostly I'm picking up dead birds or small animals from streets. Roadkills. It might look weird from aside. laughs Or bigger ones finding in forest or getting from hunters. Since I'm not using a lot of chemicals, then follows a quite long and smelly process to get till bones. When material is ready then just need to wait for inspiration.

UG: Only weird for those who don't see the beauty in those pieces. Is there something you would like to try or something you want to work on that you haven't done so far?
Ginta: Yes, I have a lots of ideas. For both, drawing and fine art. So hopefully soon enough there will be new works coming

UG: Where can one find your work? Facebook - Check, where else?
Ginta: Yes, on Facebook it's simply Ginta Bane Art. Sometimes Facebook is not so friendly with art made of bones so you can also check gintabaneart.weebly.com or ginta.bane.art on Instagram

UG: Perfect! Thank you so much and I hope we can find your art pieces on the next edition of HoW on 2023 as well!
Ginta: Thank You! It's very likely that I will show up at some other festivals this summer as well. And hopefully my creations can meet more dark souls.