Our next studio visit is with contemporary artist Lhouette. 2017 has been a year of change and discovery culminating in the launch of his 'Beyond' collection. With rumours circulating of a new Boutique Edition we were keen to get the latest news.....
What inspires you most at this time of year?
"I wouldn't say my work is seasonal in any way or that I work on themes around a specific times of the year such as love hearts in February or eggs around April, however Xmas is a interesting time of year for me, consumerism and advertising is at its height and I play with these themes a lot in my work, I think maybe the lunacy of Black Friday would be an interesting premise for a piece...on a more basic level I'm I love intense colour and contrasting materials so I am a fan of a big tacky Christmas tree!"
What are your favourite Christmas traditions?
"Christmas eve at at our local pub with friends and family is a nice one we do, it has all the wholesome traditions silly jumpers, open fire, pints of Guinness, makes me feel like we are in a 1950s Heartbeat special, or a Bing Crosby album cover but its fun"
What is your favourite Christmas memory?
"When I was a kid my mum, was decorating the walls with what she thought was a tin of spray snow, until she soon discovered it was actually standard white spray paint...we remind her of that every year."
What have been your Highlights of 2017 ?
"On a personal level it would definitely be the arrival of my little boy Cooper George and my brothers wedding, from an artistic standpoint building a new independent studio over the summer has been really exciting and giving me a new energy when formulating works and future ideas."
Can you tell us anything of your next project?
"I have one last surprise release in store for 2017, it's a fully loaded Boutique Edition and it's almost ready."
You can pre-order this edition now.
What are your plans for 2018?
"Mainly settling into the new space I have some pretty ambitious collection ideas that i'm going start on in the new year, we also have a few other plans and projects cooking away, potentially some involvement in a new art based TV series, and work being featured in the states, and possibly an exhibition towards the end of 2018."
