artist statement
I am an abstract artist, which is a style that I think is very important, as it refutes the notion that representational artwork is the peak of art. This is an incredibly narrow-minded view, as these works were heavily Eurocentric and male-dominated, meaning disadvantaged groups were often left out of this part of history. Unfortunately, the general public sees this type of work as the most impressive, and this leads to the perception that all modern art is bad. I want to challenge the misconception that abstraction is pointless, and encourage people to give it a second chance. Colour, line, and shape are the most prominent aspects of my work. The medium of paint allows me to highlight vivid colours while emphasising the texture of my compositions. I use drawing materials for the finer details, and I often experiment with the type of surface I work on. Much like other artists in this field, I typically get told that my art is simplistic. However, I believe it is beneficial to learn to appreciate the conceptual aspects of an artwork over its technical qualities. My favourite thing about showcasing my work is hearing all of the different interpretations from the viewers. I enjoy when someone explains how they found a message in my work that was completely unintended. This type of analysis helps the audience feel more connected to contemporary art, leading them to have a more nuanced opinion on the artform.
A lot of my work is derivative of previous experiences, creative or otherwise. When I was younger, I loved watching Barbie movies. Some of the DVD menus had an extras section, featuring minigames to entertain children after they watched the movie. In Barbie: Fairytopia, there was a guessing game involving two flowers. A guard fairy was hiding behind one of them, and you had to pick the other to help Elina get to the castle safely. If you picked the wrong one, he would come flying out, and you would lose. This simple sequence put me on edge as a child, and I would avoid the DVD sometimes because of it. I am not entirely sure why: he does not do a menacing pose or have a scary voice line, and the sound effect that plays is minimal, with no other music. It is oddities like this that give me the passion to create; to try and capture an intangible feeling. I think one of humanity’s biggest mistakes is assuming that we are meant to be rational all the time. There is no logical explanation for everything, and as we cannot predict our reaction to every single scenario, accepting our behaviour is the first step to understanding ourselves. This irrationality is best reflected in my own work, with my interests and hopes interacting with my insecurities and fears, instead of fighting them. They are all on display for the world to see, much like the fairies flying through the flowers, to the great castle ahead.
A lot of my work is derivative of previous experiences, creative or otherwise. When I was younger, I loved watching Barbie movies. Some of the DVD menus had an extras section, featuring minigames to entertain children after they watched the movie. In Barbie: Fairytopia, there was a guessing game involving two flowers. A guard fairy was hiding behind one of them, and you had to pick the other to help Elina get to the castle safely. If you picked the wrong one, he would come flying out, and you would lose. This simple sequence put me on edge as a child, and I would avoid the DVD sometimes because of it. I am not entirely sure why: he does not do a menacing pose or have a scary voice line, and the sound effect that plays is minimal, with no other music. It is oddities like this that give me the passion to create; to try and capture an intangible feeling. I think one of humanity’s biggest mistakes is assuming that we are meant to be rational all the time. There is no logical explanation for everything, and as we cannot predict our reaction to every single scenario, accepting our behaviour is the first step to understanding ourselves. This irrationality is best reflected in my own work, with my interests and hopes interacting with my insecurities and fears, instead of fighting them. They are all on display for the world to see, much like the fairies flying through the flowers, to the great castle ahead.