CDG visits the studio of Hannah Adamaszek
Posted on August 29, 2013
As Hannah Adamaszek 's first solo show Through the Minds Eye bounds towards us (opening next Thursday 5th September 6-9pm) we take a trip to her studio to see how exactly her female portraits come to life.
Firstly, I have to say as far as artist studios go, Hannah's is incredibly organised, her spray cans are neatly stacked on shelves making an installation of themselves and quite cosy. Not the definition of most studios. Now time for a quick chat as she paints, as 20 new paintings come together for her first solo show.
Eleni : Ok so tell us about how, and why you paint?
Hannah : My Dad painted throughout my childhood, so there was always paint, charcoal and materials left around the house, so I used to pick them up from a young age. I was always drawing. So when I started school, and later on my Foundation year, it was a natural progression to turn to paint. It was during my Foundation year that I actually did my first painting and began to learn techniques. But I actually went onto study Photography at Bournemouth as that was my young ambition. However, after a year I realised that it wasn't for me, so I transferred onto Fine Art and started painting again. But, the course was different to how I wanted it to be, it was more conceptual than I wanted, it wasn't about how I wanted to paint. It put me off painting and art after Uni, so I travelled for a few years.
E : When did you start painting again then? And how long did you travel for? I know travel is one of the biggest influences on your practice.
H : Well after Uni, I worked in an office for a bit and then began three years of Ski seasons in Austria and Switzerland, and then onto Australia. We, my husband and I, moved back to the UK to settle. It was then that I started to paint again, which was 4 years ago.
E : Have figures always been your subject?
H : Yes, when we moved back to the UK I was looking at a lot of photographs of my parents in the 60s and 70s, so I started painting them.
E : Do your characters always have personal significance? Of you, or parts of your life?
H : The person isn't anyone I know, not the females I paint now. I will take some features of various people, not making a perfect being, but somebody you could want to be. Almost a projection of of daydreams as I want to portray a feeling, normally the feeling of a daydream- which is impenetrable to others. I normally work this around a feeling that I had in a place on my travels, a memory I have of being in a certain place. Quotes that I find in poems and books heavily shape my paintings, too.
E : Ok, so talk us through the process.
H : Normally, I start with making canvas; they're all hand made. I prefers box frames for canvases, and I then stretch the canvas myself. To start the paintings, I'll give it a paint wash, and then spray paint from a stencil I have made, adding texture as I go. With the stencil outline, to get the feeling from the character I'll pick out lines with charcoal, and delete other areas with a white wash. The painting comes together after that as I move around the lines, adding hair and features with colour.
E : Do you plan the image? Or, is it spontaneous?
H : Some are planned, and others aren't, I can't prescribe a method to every paintings. When I know how I want the painting to be I will cut out a stencil and go from there, other times I will build up a canvas and see what grows.
E : And why are they women and not men?
H : Do put it down to being a woman, I can't speak for men, nor all women, but I can understand the emotions that a woman goes through, I have empathy with these girls. I can relate to them, and there will be a certain amount of projections of myself. I paint girls because I am a girl.
E : What do you find to be the most fun element of painting, what do you most enjoy? Is it the colours of hair, or when you recognise something?
H : Most of the paintings, the hair is one of the first features to be painted on, then I work to create the right figure for the particular feeling I want to get across, then I'll work to get the features right. The eyes always come last. When I paint the eyes the picture comes to life. But it's the whole process, the growth and anticipation that I enjoy.
E : What is in store for the future of the future of Hannah Adamaszek?
H : Super excited for September, as it's a big month. I have my first solo show, and that'll be with you at Curious Duke Gallery. It's an amazing space. And then my work will be going to the Manchester Buy Art Fair at the end of the month, which will be the first time my work has gone North of London in the UK. After I'll be flying to Berlin to take part in Stoke Art Fair.
Hannah Adamaszek: Through the Minds Eye
5th - 21st September 2013
Curious Duke Gallery
207 Whitecross Street
London, EC1 8QP