THE IRISH TIMES - "Pieces of Me"

October 18, 2017

Thank you so much to Deirdre McQuillan at the Irish Times for this lovely piece about our home.

Kojii-helnwein-Irish Times- Pieces-of-Me_MG_4442_sml.jpg — At home in an Irish castle

with Kojii Helnwein
The model turned actor on her favourite things: a bedside table and her beloved motorcycle

Sat, Sep 23, 2017, ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Actress, singer and songwriter Kojii Helnwein was born and raised in Tallaght but now lives in a castle in Tipperary with her fine art photographer husband, Cyril Helnwein and their three children. The daughter of Enda Wyatt, co-founder of Irish rock band An Emotional Fish, she has had a lifelong affair with music and the arts. Having studied technical stage and production, she worked as a freelance stage manager in Irish theatres for four years, then briefly with a circus in Paris before moving to Los Angeles and beginning a career in modelling and acting. She has walked for designers such as Jimmy Choo and Prada, appeared in countless magazines including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle and Marie Claire and on TV on Project Runway and Models of the Runway. She and Cyril are hosting a charity motorcycle run [The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride] in Tipperary for Movember tomorrow, Sunday, September 24th.

Describe your interiors style:

KH: Living in a castle from the 1800s it is kind of hard to do anything modern here, so everything is very vintage, bohemian, simple and organic. Textures and lighting are very important for me and I love natural fabrics like linen and fresh cotton. I like to bring the outside in, so there are a lot of wooden floors, cabinets and counter-tops. I don’t like anything plastic. Moroccan interiors are my ideal style and I love Dar Sol, the Irish store founded by Daniel Holfeld, the photographer who has sourced wonderful handmade items from Morocco.

What room do you most enjoy?

KH: It used to be the kitchen, but now it is our new little guest room which we call the "Tree House". It is actually an attic room that was renovated: it’s a little triangular room at the top of the house with only a bed, a Moroccan carpet and a shelf with a lot of art books and vintage cameras. It gets all the daylight and is the only room in the house where people don’t go looking for me. I have three kids so it is a nice place to meditate or play my guitar and no one ever finds me there so it is lovely.

What items do you love most?

KH: I love the bath shelf that my husband Cyril made for me – he is very handy with woodwork – from reclaimed wood from our property. It holds a wine glass, a book or an iPad. My Royal Enfield Classic 500 [motorcycle] is my pride and joy; I bought it in Adare in Limerick last March. [Royal Enfield Ireland]. Other items would be a hand-carved closet which came with the castle with beautiful leaves and creatures – it is stunning. And a bedside table that my 11-year-old daughter made from tree trunks and twine. It is so natural, beautiful and simple.

Who are your favourite designers?

KH: I am not interested in current designers mainly because modern furniture design doesn’t fit into the house, so I go to flea markets, auction houses, thrift and vintage stores. I search for things that have an older style of craftsmanship. And most of my clothing is vintage too.

What artists do you admire?

KH: I am fortunate to be surrounded by artists, so obviously my husband is my favourite artist especially his latest series of Polaroid prints called Lost Garden. He shot it in our own arboretum and made all the frames from reclaimed wood. My father-in-law’s hyper realism [the Austrian artist Gottfried Helnwein] floors me – he can capture the essence of a person so well. I also admire the London-based New Zealand artist Justin Russell. He was based in Dublin for many years as a tattoo artist and tattooed my husband, he is another hyper realist, super-talented with a great depth to his art.

Biggest interior turn off?

KH: Low ceilings, clutter, shiny modern surfaces, bad lighting, black shiny 1980s-style kitchens, black leather couches and lino.

Destination that stands out?

KH: Joshua Tree, out in the desert. It was the first place we went to after my daughter was born – she was born at home in our loft in Los Angeles and was just three days-old when we left. My family had been over from Ireland for the birth which was five days before Christmas. DTLA is high rise, smog, noise and dirt and we wanted to get out of it into wide open spaces. My dad had shot a music video in Joshua Tree and suggested the idea, so we rented a huge Ford Expedition and shot off.

If you had €100,000 to spend on anything for the home, what would that be?

KH: Oh my God, living in a house that is constantly under restoration, I would renovate an attic space above our wing so we would have extra bright spaces. If there was anything left, I would build a small climate-controlled shed for the motorcycles.

kojiihelnwein.com, cyrilhelnwein.com

all photos ©Kojii Helnwein 2017

"I never aspired to be a model."

January 31, 2017

The lovely Syune Arakelyan interviewed me recently for the Armenian News.Am STYLE

"I never aspired to be a model." Kojii Helnwein On Her Career and Participation in Project Runway

CLICK HERE FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE by Syune Arakelyan January 30, 13:02

The fans of fashion industry have discovered the beautiful model Kojii Helnwein mostly due to the famous TV shows Project Runway and Models Of The Runway.

Kojii was mostly paired with the designer Logan Neitzel. Although she didn’t win the project, she became the model who has admired and inspired a lot of young girls in front of TV.

NEWS.am STYLE has a big surprise for all the fans of Kojii. We did a very interesting interview with her the details of which are presented below:

-Kojii, you were born in the family of a musician. Music has occupied the most part of your childhood I guess… How did you take to modeling?

-My Dad is a musician/songwriter and toured the world with his band for much of my childhood while my Mum, a holistic healer cultivated our interest in the arts from home.

I was 10 years old when I started playing the guitar but I was writing songs with my Dad since I was 4. By the time I was 13, I had formed a band and we performed in venues around Ireland.

I started modeling later than most. I was 20 years old when a friend secretly sent my photos to the top modeling agency in Ireland. The day after I met that agent, I was on the runway for a top Irish Designer (John Rocha), where I met a lot of people in the fashion industry. After that show I was booked solid for the following year so I never really had time to decide if I wanted to become a model or not.

-You're singing, acting, modeling. Which of these activities is closer to you?

-I am a musician at heart. I feel it is what I was born to do but I love acting. I find it invigorating to step into another person's shoes and experience life as them.

I have never considered myself a model. I approached modeling as a day job, much like one might work in a cafe. It paid the bills and I got to meet and work with a lot of amazing people. I never aspired to be a model but I enjoyed every moment of it.

-Speak about your participation in Project Runway. How that happened?

-We shot that season of Project Runway 10 years ago when I was living in Los Angeles. I had never heard of the show at that time. When I was offered the job I turned it down as I was planning to return to Ireland to see family.

After a few days of talks I was finally convinced to take the job. I had no clue what I was getting myself into and the other girls had to explain each step of the show to me for the first week. I was so engrossed in music and uninterested in the modeling world. To be honest, I didn't even know who Heidi Klum was as I didn't watch TV or read fashion magazines.

-For TV viewers this project is fun. I wonder, what emotions do the participating models and designers experience during the show?

-I can’t speak for everyone else involved. 10 years have passed but I do recall people missing their families, feeling exhausted by VERY long days of filming. Some days we were woken at 6am with a cameraman standing over our bed and the same night you may still be awake filming at 1 or 2am. It was exhausting so people were very sensitive. I recall many of us falling ill with a terrible flu and working through it as best we could. I took everything lightly but some people took the entire situation very seriously.

-You were mostly paired with the designer Logan Neitzel. Have you worked together after the show?

-No. Unfortunately I haven’t seen Logan since the premiere of the show as we live 1000’s of miles apart.

-You're a Mom and a model. Is it easy to combine Motherhood with modeling?

-It is no easier or more difficult than being a Mom with any job. Every working Mom has a lot to juggle. The struggle between wanting to be home with your babies 24/7, managing a home and the need to work can be tough on everyone. Some days are easier than others but I am fortunate to have a very loving and supportive family who help when needed. It requires a huge amount of planning and patience.

-It is said that kids usually take after their parents. Do you imagine your daughters being models? As a model, would you advise them to take this profession?

-My kids have all done a small amount of modeling. They are often offered modeling work but I let them decide for themselves and usually they turn it down. It doesn't interest them unless it’s a fun shoot with the whole family or for an artist they know well.

In saying that, they are very talented and beautiful children and take to modeling naturally but I don’t wish for them to enter the world of fashion.

I prefer that they don’t have their attention on their physical looks; I teach them that their creativity and intelligence is more important. My eldest daughter is 10 years old and has started her first business. She sells plush toys that she makes from recycled materials to people all over the world via her website www.croitures.com. My youngest daughter loves to compose songs and dance and our son aspires to build things with wood, play drums and sports.

-It is known, that models usually have a lot of difficulties…

-I had a very positive experience when I modeled and I think this is because it wasn’t my dream job. If I did not book a modeling job, I was still happy as I had my art, my acting and my music. Modeling was just the day job that paid the bills. My world, my happiness and confidence were not invested in wanting to be a famous or successful model.

Any success I had with modeling was a fruitful bonus in my eyes.

-What do you work at in this moment?

Currently I am working as an actress in Europe. I have a couple of movies in film festivals around the world and recently had the happy surprise of winning a Best Actress Award at a film festival in Canada.

-Your advice to all the beginning models.

Be yourself, stay in school. Go to college and hone your other talents and interests. Your personality, intelligence, integrity and creativity will be far more distinguishing qualities than appearance alone. Also, be interestED in the people around you rather than trying to be “interestING”.

-Kojii, did you know anything about Armenia before we did this interview?

-Yes. I have met some lovely people from Armenia throughout my career.

Syune Arakelyan

Photographers: Brendan Morrissey, Reid Rolls and Lily Flores

Kingswood's Kojii...

January 19, 2017

Kingswood's Kojii Helnwein - star of the screen and stage

By Aideen O'Flaherty

From working as a stage manager in theatres throughout Ireland to securing lucrative modelling contracts and being the frontwoman of her eponymous band, Kojii Helnwein has always been passionate about working in the creative industries.

Growing up in Kingswood in Tallaght, Kojii was always surrounded by music as a result of her father Enda Wyatt songwriting and playing bass in the rock band An Emotional Fish, but now Kojii indulges in a variety of creative pursuits: acting, modelling, making music and photography are just some of her talents.

Married to the artist Cyril Helnwein, Kojii lives in a castle in Tipperary with their three children and divides her time between Los Angeles and Ireland.

Your dad is a musician, so music has always been around you from a young age. Was there a particular moment when you realised you wanted to be a musician too?

I don't recall any one moment, music was like language in our house when I was a kid. In primary school I’d come home to find my Dad in his home studio recording music. He'd stand me up in front of the microphone and let me sing whatever came into my mind.

There are countless tapes of 4-year-old me rambling on about clouds and dragons. I do recall being incredibly impressed by the work that went into being a musician.

The constant practice, the writing, rehearsals, the recording, it all fascinated me. I loved shadowing my Dad when he worked, I would hang out at the Factory Studios back in the day and listen to U2 jam in one rehearsal room and my dad in another.

I was hooked the first time I saw the band on stage and saw thousands of people singing along to songs that I saw the band write. The energy from that crowd was electrifying and I was hooked!

You worked as a stage manager in theatres and also a Parisian circus before you started modelling, what was that experience like?

I enjoyed working in theatre. I studied technical stage training in Tallaght and fell straight into working freelance. I was very lucky and worked non-stop for years in some great venues around Ireland.

I had the pleasure of working on opera festivals in the Gaiety, I toured with Des Bishop on a rap musical, worked the Cat Laughs Comedy festival and so much more.

It was a wild and creative ride but the hours were long, the pay was low and the work was hard. I worked 18-20 hour days and I was on the road a lot.

When I discovered modelling paid more than a week’s wage in just one day I was happy to leave the stage management behind.

How did your work as a stage manager lead into your career in modelling?

Through my work at the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival one year I met the best friend of a famous American comedian and we started dating.

I moved to LA with him and everyone we met assumed I was a model, they were shocked to learn that I wore a tool belt and combats to work instead.

When I returned to Ireland after a few months, I discovered someone had mailed my photos to a top modelling agency in Dublin. I still have no clue who sent them in.

I was home from LA for only a few hours when the agency called to set up a meeting. The next day I was on the runway for John Rocha and was booked solid for the following year thanks to everyone I met at that show.

You've starred in loads of TV commercials and even appeared on Project Runway, what is it like to see yourself on TV?

I don't enjoy seeing myself on TV. I am super critical of my work and see nothing but the points I need to work on.

However, there have been those rare moments where I see a character in a film and realise “Oh wait! That's me! Completely immersed in character.”

Those are the moments I live for. Commercials are fun and easy to shoot though. Just yesterday my daughter jumped up in the cinema during the previews and announced “Mom!!That's you!,” I sank into my seat in mortification but I was also elated to see how proud my little girl is of me.

As for Project Runway, I have yet to see a single episode. I had never seen the show before I took the job and quickly realised that it's not my cup of tea.

More recently you've been doing some acting work, how does this compare to being on stage as a musician?

It's a totally different rush. There's an immediate connection with the audience when I'm on stage with my band so I know if we’re doing a good job or not.

I’ve also been making music a lot longer than I’ve been acting so I’m more comfortable with winging it when the crowd want something different.

With film, I have to trust myself and work hard to nail it. It's more challenging to be someone else and delve into their world.

You recently displayed some of your photography at an exhibition for photographers in Tipperary, are there any plans to have a full solo exhibition of your work?

That was a fun show, it was a group exhibit that showcased work from artists based in Tipperary. Photography is more of a hobby for me.

I love film photography and old cameras so when I have some of that rare free time I’ll sneak away with one of my cameras.

The work I recently showed was from a series called ‘Ophelia’ that I photographed while I was working on the role of Ophelia in a feature film of Hamlet.

I used the series to help me capture what the character was going through and to process the role. I never expected to exhibit these photos but the support from my family was the push I needed.

There's talk of a solo show in Dublin next year but no date set in stone yet.

You divide your time between Ireland and LA, what do you think are the biggest differences in pursuing creative work in the US and here?

There are many differences between the work here and in LA, namely the volume and scale of work plus the money. There is so much work out there.

In LA a company might spend millions of dollars shooting a commercial only to shelve the end product and never air it. The work in Ireland may be of a much smaller scale but the quality and creativity in here is stellar.

We have amazing filmmakers here who are pushing some serious boundaries.

You're married to the artist Cyril Helnwein, do you get to collaborate with each other much when working or do you prefer to work separately?

Cyril and I met through our work when I modelled for his ‘Ethereal’ series and I've posed for him a few times since then, but these days we work separately. In saying that, we’re very supportive of each other and always help out as much as possible.

If you had to pick one career out of acting, modelling, writing music and photography, which one would you pick and why?

Acting. It's the one job I have that will eventually allow me to partake in all my interests. In one role I might be a musician, another a photographer, another role I might be a homely mother.

It’s also the most challenging, it forces you to really study people and what drives us.

The process of developing a character is incredible and can open you up to ways of thinking that you may never consider when you're living everyday life as yourself.

I’ve always been pretty empathic and have the ability to see life from the perspective of others, to be able to channel that for work is phenomenal.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career in the creative industries?

Be prepared for the business side of art, it’s not all creative. There are taxes, contracts and all sorts of administrative issues that you need to be prepared to handle yourself.

Hire someone you trust to do it, but always be sure you understand what they do for you. I see too many artists scraping the poverty line because they let the business swallow them whole.

Lastly, what is it really like to live in a castle?

It's a magical life. Our kids are living the dream - they have gardens, forest, animals, culture, history and art in their daily lives.

They climb trees, run free with their dogs and imagine amazing adventures with dragons and fairies.

I’m incredibly fortunate and grateful to have this life, it's a far cry from where I came from. As magical as it is though, I'm a city girl.

It took a long time for me to get used to life in the countryside and the slower pace. A castle is a lot of work though, an old building like that requires a lot of upkeep and you can't just run to IKEA for a quick fix.

Sometimes random tourists wander into the garden as they think it's a public place. I often joke that we should charge them €20 and hand them a sweeping brush, a mop and some furniture polish so they can take the ‘Real Life in a Castle’ tour!

You can find out more about Kojii at kojiihelnwein.com, and follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @kojiihelnwein.