Irena Kongsuwan: Drawing Vessels Inside Spaces

Irena Kongsuwan is an expressive drawer and painter from Canada who was in residence at Il Palmerino during the summer of 2026. Her goal for the residency was to reignite her art practice, which had taken a back seat to her full-time job and family life. Her artistic career began thirty years ago, shortly after high school. She went on to earn a Fine Arts degree, specializing in painting and drawing.

The technique Irena focuses on is chalk pastel (aka soft pastel) on paper. Typically, she uses a surface like black paper or crumpled brown paper. At the Palmerino, she used the brown paper for the aged and worn look it has. The black paper is another option because it feels like pulling an image out of darkness. The pastel is layered on until she can get the feeling she’s looking for.

Her inspiration primarily consists of expressive drawings that convey strong emotional depth. Irena is currently focused on drawing vessels, exploring the empty space they contain as a metaphor for life. Within that space, life takes shape. The marks left on the vessel's surface are records of our presence. When she arrived at Il Palmerino, she intended to create a series of drawings of doors. However, she found herself increasingly drawn to antique vases, even broken ones with unique shapes. In choosing her subjects, she searches for objects and spaces that appear almost as if they are drawings themselves.

Staying at Il Palmerino was a great experience for Irena as it was filled with inspiration from antique objects to the beautiful scenery. The main lesson she got out of this opportunity was to slow down to take the time to figure out what she wants the day to bring. Irena learned that it was important to not put so much pressure on herself and just let everything flow. When asked what word comes to mind when it comes to her residency she focused on the word “immersed”. She completely immersed herself in this experience, just having the time to see everything and pour herself into her artwork. By letting everything unfold at its own pace, she discovered new inspiration and creative freedom.