When I was twelve I'd sit by the letter box every day waiting for my letter to arrive. What letter? My admission to Hogwarts of course! But I guess the owl must have got lost somewhere...
I love all things wizarding and wonderful, so visiting the the studios where the Harry Potter series was filmed was like a dream come true for me. You'd think looking behind the scenes, (what with all the robots, green screens and prosthetic heads) would steal away some of the magic, but it enabled me to appreciate the smallest details and craftsmanship all the more.
Drawing inspiration directly from what I saw; I could develop print patterns from the tapestries in the Gryffindor common room, look at texture from the embossed stone and metal carvings around the castle. I could source embellishment from the crystal chandeliers and starlit ceiling in the great hall, or even take ques directly from the costumes themselves. Even though this isn't listed a conventional gallery as such, it artfully displays a collection of articles which evoke a deep sense of personal interest for me. Harry Potter was a big part of my childhood and the idea of bringing a fantasy world to life, through film or fashion feels really exciting.
A topic my artwork has centred around in the past is that of "the human condition"- which, in short, explores the shared concerns of human existence through fields such as psychology, sociology, theology (aaand a whole lot of other ology's). From an existentialist standpoint this includes shared human concerns with one's own sense of purpose, loneliness, love, freedom and mortality. There's a vast array of sub-themes surrounding the matter but what I'm most intrigued by is our individual perception of what defines reality. Magic, for one, can be used as a way of escaping the confines of our own disbelief, a way of experiencing the impossible, which is what I try to embody through much of my artwork. I want what I create to empower people, to make them feel like they're living out a dream.
“Just because something is happening inside your head doesn't mean its not real.”
- Albus Dumbledore.
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