Meet the Artist: Hannah Adamaszek
We are delighted to announce the release of two new limited edition prints with artist Hannah Adamaszek. We met up with Hannah to hear more about her artistic practice and learn how this large-scale mural artist found the experience of creating her work on a postcard.
You create works that merge art and zen? What inspires your work and what do you want people to take from it?
I love that moment where you forget all of your worries, breathe and live in that second. I want to try and capture that in my work, and make it live forever. I have looked at yoga and the breath as influences, as they came to me when I needed them the most. I draw on my own personal experiences and think about how I have come out stronger. I hope I can inspire other people to do the same.
Do your surroundings affect and inspire your work?
It’s surprising how important it is to have a great place to work in. I’ve worked in spaces that have been small with little light and I find it a lot more challenging to get into the right frame of mind for what I want to create…they tend to have more of a darker feel to them.
Do you have a creative routine? Are there particular things you need around you to work effectively?
I don’t have a set routine, it depends how I am feeling on the day. Sometimes paintings come together easy and others can be a real battle, often going backwards rather than forwards, but that’s part of the process and learning each time.
Normally I like to start the day by getting inspired, which could be with a run, looking on Pinterest at different images, creating a mood board to get a feel of what I will paint, or do a basic drawing. Sometimes as I paint I am inspired by the process and unpredictability of the way the paint flows. Sometimes I have an idea of how I want the painting to be but as I work that changes.
Images source: HannahAdamaszek.com
What materials do you use and why?
I love to use and experiment with as many materials as possible. I tend to use acrylics and spraypaint the most, but I have tried oils, embroidery and pastels before. For me I love the looseness of the acrylics, they can be watered down to make many layers and textures. I like to mix these with spray paint with the harsher lines and block colour from using stencils.
You work on a variety of scales, often creating large murals. How did you find creating this postcard-sized work?
I love making work that is big, it feels more natural for me, so doing a postcard size was a real challenge. But I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the challenge. I ended up working on them all at the same time so that I could go back and forth as one was drying.
What does it mean to you to have produced work to help raise funds for Hepatitis C Trust?
Its amazing to be able to help others, and for this I was excited about taking part in something that can make such a positive change to so many peoples lives.
Who are your favourite street artists/photographers? Does their work influence your own practice?
There are so many artists that inspire me. At the moment a few favourites are Marcelina Amelia, who has an amazing use of colour and expression in her work and Anthony Lister who puts himself fully into his work. I love their honesty and ability to express themselves in a way that is unique to them.
Do you have any exciting projects/exhibitions coming up?
I’m making lots of murals at the moment for different businesses, which I’m really excited about. I love to paint big so these are perfect for me. I’m moving into a studio space in the next month too and want to start putting a set of work together for a solo show next year.
