Interview with Kai Janik by Shadow by Kai, daughterofshadows  

Interview with Kai by Shadow

Kai is a Tolkien artist whose work captures both the dramatic moments of the legendarium and the moments of friendship and love between characters that drove these storied events. Kai's work often captures light and radiance, making him fitting as a featured artist for Maglor's Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation, "Gil-galad was an Elven King: Kingship and Personhood in the last High King of the Noldor." Kai spoke with Shadow about how Maglor's topic was instantly inspiring, his range of interests over the years in the legendarium, and the meaning behind the painting he made for Maglor's presentation.

Shadow: Hello, Kai, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me about the art you're creating for Mereth Aderthad! You'll be the featured artist for Maglor's presentation "Gil-galad was an Elven King: Kingship and Personhood in the last High King of the Noldor". What made you choose this presentation specifically?

Kai: Hello Shadow, thank you! I am so happy about the chance to make an illustration of his exciting character! I had actually started making sketches for a Gil-galad painting many months ago but I was stuck. I only knew I wanted to show the complexity of the character and not just what I think he looks like. As soon as I read Maglor’s abstract it just clicked and everything fell into place. I had the sketch finished the same evening as I got the confirmation. What I love most is that there are so many versions of Gil-galad in fanworks and all of them are possible to explain with the lore. All we really know is from this song and with the rest we can do what we like. I love this about Tolkien in general but I had just recently started thinking about these different aspects of Gil-galad and I saw all of my thoughts reflected in the abstract. I just knew I needed to do this illustration!

Shadow: I know exactly what you mean! It's one of the reasons I love writing about Gil-galad and something I explored in the story I wrote for Maglor's presentation. Tolkien leaves us so much room to explore this character, with so many viable interpretations, and I find great joy to look at all of them.

Are there other aspects that keep you coming back to Tolkien's works? Do you have any favourite scenes, characters or themes that you would like to share?

Kai: What I have found in Tolkien's works and not in any other is that I can come back to the same text over and over again for fifteen years and always find something new, some new way to relate to something and learn something about myself. When I first read The Lord of the Rings as an angsty teenager I found a kind of aching longing and sadness that spoke to me. Later I found the hope and love that is always there somehow—I like to think about Nienna and how much her influence is there as an undercurrent in the whole story. For a long time I was obsessed with the Elves (I still am in a way) but my favourite character became Éowyn at some point. I remember being angry about her, as a teenager, for giving up fighting just because she gets a boyfriend—as I saw it. Only a few years ago I began to understand the power of being seen and loved for exactly who you are and the courage it takes to allow yourself peace and happiness after having to fight all your life for things others take for granted. Elrond is such a fascinating character too, who has lived through so much grief and chose to become a healer—someone who can be a healer and a warrior in one person. I love Finrod and Fingon, Maglor and Maedhros and have recently become very interested in the Annatar and Celebrimbor dynamic—I could go on like this for a long time. Through reading fanfiction and conversations with others in the fandom I learned that I can love some things about something and still criticise other things about it. I became more open to views that are different than mine and asking questions rather than seeking confrontation. I feel like I'm learning a lot by these interactions and I like that. I don't need any other fandoms, because I can find all I need in this one.

Shadow: Nienna and what she stands for is something that also keeps me coming back. Hope is such an essential theme in the stories, and that is so comforting to me.

This fandom is filled with many wonderful people who are willing to teach, both actively and by being a presence in fandom spaces. I always say that being a part of this fandom, and the SWG in particular, taught me how to argue with grace and kindness, and be respectful even in disagreement. All lessons that I have carried with me into other parts of life where they've proven equally useful.

Mereth Aderthad is a celebration of that community and will feature scholarship, stories and art. Would you be willing to tell us a bit about your art? What went through your head while making it? Are there specific aspects you focused on or is there anything that you are especially pleased with?

Kai: The first thing that came into my head when I started the painting was the song sung by Sam—the Elven-king who rules during a long time of peace and dies in a war and seems very much like he could be any king from any fairytale. I went with a statue-like appearance of him, a partly translucent king with his banner of stars and his shield between his people and the darkness of Mordor. There are ships sailing to the West and trees and white towers and even some harpers singing sadly, if you look closely (this last bit was something I added in the end once I realised how close I had come to making an illustration of Sam's song without intending to do so). For me, Gil-galad can be someone who was once called Finduilas, he can be Orodreth's son or Fingon's, or a son of Fingon and Maedhros, or a random orphaned Elf someone crowned when suddenly no high king was at hand. This is why he is defined by the colours of the background in my painting, the colours of what he stands for. He fades into the background, while still being the central character—someone could add a hair colour and make him fit their background story. I thought about his heraldry too, the stars in the banner: He isn't King Comet or King Sun or King Menelvagor, he is the stars in the background of all of that, holding it all together, King Starlight. We don't know much about him personally, he didn't explode into a ball of fire nor did he stab Morgoth's foot and he didn't die for a Silmaril, he faded into shadow in a dark land. But we know that he must have been loved and that he must have been a good king, as much as anyone can be a good king. I hoped to bring all those thoughts together in the painting and in its title "banner of stars".

Shadow: That is a beautiful take on Gil-galad and his life, and so, so fitting for Maglor's presentation! King Starlight! I love it already <3

Now, this interview is not just an opportunity for you to tell us about your work for Mereth Aderthad, but also a chance to share and celebrate the work you have already created. Where can we find your previous works to enjoy while we wait for Mereth Aderthad to arrive? You are very welcome to highlight your favourites or those you're most proud of!

Kai: The place with most of my work is probably tumblr where I am as kai-janik-art but there is also my website kaidjanikart.com, which has other work than my illustrations as well. When it comes to Tolkien related art, I am currently obsessed with linocuts. I have already shared Ost-in-Edhil and Rivendell, but I just completed a series of small prints that I will be sharing very soon. I am also experimenting with painting on clay but it will be a while until I can share that. I like all my watercolour works so it's hard to say which ones are my favourites, but I think Mereth Nuin Giliath, Alqualondë, and Then Maedhros alone stood aside are my strongest works, the life-size full body portraits of Maedhros and Maglor probably my most impressive, when seen in person.

Shadow: I will definitely have to check those out, and I hope others will as well! One final question and then I will let you go. Mereth Aderthad is above all an event intended to celebrate our community. What part of it would you like to celebrate the most?

It could be people, events, moments, really whatever comes to mind. Obviously, for everyone, the term community works a bit differently, but for me, it includes above all the wonderful people I have met through fandom who have become close friends even though we've never seen each other face to face. What initially started out as collaborations grew beyond the works we created together, and I will forever value that.

Kai: I would also definitely celebrate the friends I have found through fandom and especially my beta reader Helen who is encouraging not only my fanfics but also my paintings and all of that is certainly a lot better thanks to her! But there are so many other people as well, some of whom I eventually met in person at Oxonmoot and felt like we had known each other forever. It took a while to find exactly the people I want in my Tolkien bubble, people who are open and kind but also critical about some aspects of the lore and I owe a lot of personal growth to all of them!

Shadow: Well then, here’s to the friends we made along the way! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me about your art and journey through fandom. I can’t wait to see the fully realised piece in July!