Artist Statement
I have a big passion for the female body, particularly to the female nude. During the last year of my course, my practice became much more focused on design, which led me to explore and create various objects with my own prints. I was producing pillows, tote bags, mugs, coasters, notebooks, T-shirts and hoodies.
The initial idea is coming from my previous work, which I’ve been producing for years. My previous work include mostly paintings, using oil on canvas and also sometimes board, with depictions of the female nude in it. The nude figures are coming mostly from my own photographs, as I also like to do photography, so I decided to use my own body as a source of inspiration. I’m taking pictures of myself in order to situate my body within the practice in relation to my work. Inspired by Clare Price’s idea that “Art comes through the body”. I’ve been always enjoying the painting process and working with oils, I use oils because it doesn’t get dry for a long time, so I can be back to the painting process as much as I want.
Last year I moved on to drawings and it was a very good experience, as I developed another technique which can also be applied to different objects.
Because my practice focused on the female nude, it was very hard to gravitate away from commentary on the objectification of the female body in pornography. My work was always seen as ‘erotic’ due to it’s technique and models poses. This led me to explore a new technique and to change the viewers ‘vision’. Last year I managed to change it through my drawings where I was filling the body with various complicated patterns, in order to bring viewer’s attention into the technique, rather than objectifying the body as ‘erotic’. Within my work I’m trying to communicate about own body, about inspiration. I believe that through the work I’ve done I managed to love my body more. My inspiration was informed by Zentangle Art, Clare Price, Euan Glow and Henri Matisse. All of these artists have been provoking specific aspects within my practice, starting from my paintings to drawings.
At the beginning of my last fourth year, I moved onto collages on canvas. I felt that I limited myself with the technique and materials and I decided to develop something new. The idea came up when I was playing with the Photoshop, when I selected all my paintings I’ve done and I combined them altogether. I was pleased with the result and I decided to expand on it immediately. In a first term exhibitions, I was presenting big collages and my aim was to promote a different way of thinking about the female body. Because I filled the whole canvas with the collages that I made with a Photoshop, in the result I got an interesting combination, mix of colours and patterns. The intention was to confuse a spectator. Once you get closer to the work, you can then clearly observe smaller figures of the female nude.
For this work I was inspired by Cecily Brown and her technique. I wanted to use a similar method of expression and to articulate my own relationship to the female body. I adapted myself to convey messages even through ‘confusing’ work.
Last time I presented the collage was on Interim Show in winter. After this I was a bit struggled with a new ideas. The idea of designed objects came up when I saw my pillow at home which I made in 2018. The concept was derived from my big interest to the shopping, especially to the clothes. Furthermore I started planning which designs and which objects can be used for it. I should also mention that my practice and path led me into the very important and creative idea.
For the final degree show exhibition, I was originally intending to set up a room as a ‘shop’ and presenting my designed objects. I was planning to build some shelves on the wall and to fill them with the pillows, mugs, notebooks, coasters. I also planned to build a hang rack for the hoodies and T-shirts. The intention was to make an imitation of the shop and to observe people’s reaction and thoughts to the objects. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, I’m unable to do it anymore, moreover all the things which I needed for the show, raised in prices and it’s very expensive to afford it right now.
However when the pandemic ends, I really want to expand on idea I came up with and I will dedicate myself to release it.
The initial idea is coming from my previous work, which I’ve been producing for years. My previous work include mostly paintings, using oil on canvas and also sometimes board, with depictions of the female nude in it. The nude figures are coming mostly from my own photographs, as I also like to do photography, so I decided to use my own body as a source of inspiration. I’m taking pictures of myself in order to situate my body within the practice in relation to my work. Inspired by Clare Price’s idea that “Art comes through the body”. I’ve been always enjoying the painting process and working with oils, I use oils because it doesn’t get dry for a long time, so I can be back to the painting process as much as I want.
Last year I moved on to drawings and it was a very good experience, as I developed another technique which can also be applied to different objects.
Because my practice focused on the female nude, it was very hard to gravitate away from commentary on the objectification of the female body in pornography. My work was always seen as ‘erotic’ due to it’s technique and models poses. This led me to explore a new technique and to change the viewers ‘vision’. Last year I managed to change it through my drawings where I was filling the body with various complicated patterns, in order to bring viewer’s attention into the technique, rather than objectifying the body as ‘erotic’. Within my work I’m trying to communicate about own body, about inspiration. I believe that through the work I’ve done I managed to love my body more. My inspiration was informed by Zentangle Art, Clare Price, Euan Glow and Henri Matisse. All of these artists have been provoking specific aspects within my practice, starting from my paintings to drawings.
At the beginning of my last fourth year, I moved onto collages on canvas. I felt that I limited myself with the technique and materials and I decided to develop something new. The idea came up when I was playing with the Photoshop, when I selected all my paintings I’ve done and I combined them altogether. I was pleased with the result and I decided to expand on it immediately. In a first term exhibitions, I was presenting big collages and my aim was to promote a different way of thinking about the female body. Because I filled the whole canvas with the collages that I made with a Photoshop, in the result I got an interesting combination, mix of colours and patterns. The intention was to confuse a spectator. Once you get closer to the work, you can then clearly observe smaller figures of the female nude.
For this work I was inspired by Cecily Brown and her technique. I wanted to use a similar method of expression and to articulate my own relationship to the female body. I adapted myself to convey messages even through ‘confusing’ work.
Last time I presented the collage was on Interim Show in winter. After this I was a bit struggled with a new ideas. The idea of designed objects came up when I saw my pillow at home which I made in 2018. The concept was derived from my big interest to the shopping, especially to the clothes. Furthermore I started planning which designs and which objects can be used for it. I should also mention that my practice and path led me into the very important and creative idea.
For the final degree show exhibition, I was originally intending to set up a room as a ‘shop’ and presenting my designed objects. I was planning to build some shelves on the wall and to fill them with the pillows, mugs, notebooks, coasters. I also planned to build a hang rack for the hoodies and T-shirts. The intention was to make an imitation of the shop and to observe people’s reaction and thoughts to the objects. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, I’m unable to do it anymore, moreover all the things which I needed for the show, raised in prices and it’s very expensive to afford it right now.
However when the pandemic ends, I really want to expand on idea I came up with and I will dedicate myself to release it.