"My work is a reflection of both myself and humanity as a whole. In my work, I reflect on myself and use the medium not only to express myself but show things I can’t articulate any other way. Whether it's my feelings or an issue I am trying to bring to light, it's important to me to present them as stories, so anyone can relate to them. When I reflect on humanity in my work, it often takes the form of stories about other creatures and beings who act as a metaphor for humans. In doing this, I make it easier for us as humans to observe, reflect, and judge their actions. This creates an environment where we observe others carrying out our actions. In both these examples of stories, I often add my own ideas and escalate the situations much more than they ever would be in real life. This, in unison with the past ideas, creates interesting narratives and stories which often tell allegories I think of from personal experience and exploration. I work in a variety of media such as marker, watercolor, print, and other found materials. Aside from creating art pieces, I also create zines to showcase other forms of creativity such as photography."
Q: Tell me about what kind of work you are currently making?
"Currently, I’ve been working on a series of pieces that tell a story of a universe where stretchy people have created themselves and their own world. The story began as a stand-alone piece but transformed into a story about a society of creatures that came to create and transform themselves into "Stretchy People". I use this as a way to show ideas of transhumanism and how science, religion, and theology not only shape our minds but also the world around us, implying that in some cases, creatures make themselves god not by choice but by curse. I think it’s a very interesting way of observing ideas that I think about in my head while making it easy to look at, judge, and predict what might happen. Along with this, I am deciding whether to make a zine showcasing this story, some behind-the-scenes brainstorming and extra notes, but I still haven’t decided whether that will happen. I am also continuing a series of other works and always thinking of new ideas."
Q: What is a day like in the studio for you?
"To begin, it’s very rare for me to spend a whole day in the studio. Rather, during the week, I take a lot of time making smaller pieces and sketches. As I focus more on a specific piece or idea, I usually spend quite some time working on it. For me, this process can occur two ways. The first is by just going in and creating the piece. The second way is by spending more time planning and then continuing on the piece. While I work, I like to listen to music and often don’t stay working in one place. For me, my studio is wherever my pieces, materials, and myself are. As I slowly work away, the ideas and focus become clearer. Sometimes this prompts me to work late until I’m finished because I simply am just so excited with the story idea! My “day” often ends when I finish a piece or am happy with the stage I’m at."
Q: Who are your most prominent influences on your art practice?
"While I take influence from most everyday things around me, I would say my most prominent influences would be music (of all types) and old stories (especially myths and legends), as well as modern film. For me, each of these show different things about the way humans think and give me a variety of inspiration from the whole world. When it comes to artists that inspire me, my top ones would be: Jean-Michael Basquiat, MR., Andy Warhol, Salvador Dali, Jackie Bradshaw, and Yayoi Kusama. These are just a few, and as you may have guessed, I like a lot of artists! I find it really interesting to learn about different artists from all over time, and it often inspires different stories and ideas for me."
Q: What are your preferred mediums to work with and why?
"The mediums I often work with include pen and ink, marker, watercolor, and photography. For me these have been commonly used simply because they were what I already had. The same is for the paper I use, sometimes it’s printer paper, construction paper, and for larger pieces, it’s packing paper! I also like to stick to these because they are simple to work with and are very portable. You can then use these and create both simplistic and highly detailed works. With photography, I’ve really been playing around and exploring it as a medium to tell stories. I continue to learn as I experiment and in return have some fun! While I would state these as my favourite mediums, I also want to continue to explore and try new mediums. I find that doing so often can give inspiration."
Q: What major themes, concepts or methods are rooted in your practice?
"For me, major themes and concepts include the relationship of nature and the unnatural, emotions, the mind, and humanity as a whole. I like to use themes such as these, because they have so much room for creativity. They also leave room for interpretation, so that everyone can connect to them in different ways. A method that is deeply rooted in my practice is the practice of just doing. Oftentimes I do not plan. While this can occasionally lead to more mistakes, it often ends up leaving the creativity free and subject to change. I also find that it can bring ideas or thoughts that would not have come up if I had planned out the entire work. I believe there is a time for planning, but for me, this time comes very rarely. Another method I commonly practice is using what’s around me. I do this by using materials that are around me as well as taking inspiration from what happens around me or what I see near me."
Q: Where can we find more of your work?
"My work as well as other news about upcoming events can be found online on Instagram (@art_by_yume). You can also e-mail me at art.by.yume21@gmail.com for any inquiries."
