ART
Artist, Graceland London
On Vices, Symbols and Human Consumption in the Age of the Pandemic
W
alking into London’s Maddox Gallery and exploring the work of British contemporary artist, Graceland London, is like being transported into a candy-coloured cartoon world where each scene is as witty as it is wondrous. On closer inspection though and in conversation with the artist herself, we discover that her work is riddled with symbols and examines the darker side of human nature, from issues of self-obsession and consumption, to materialism and more… Tell us about your journey as an artist. Did you know from a young age that you wanted to pursue art as a career, or was it a discovery that happened later in life? I always gravitated towards art. I was always drawing and painting from a young age. I went to Hampstead Fine Art where I studied only art subjects. I actually had a hard time trying to figure out how I could go about being a professional artist as I was growing up and worked many other jobs, but I would always just come back to creating; it was all I could think about at all times. When I was at my other jobs, I would just draw ideas about the paintings I wanted to make 1 0 4 M AY 2 0 2 1
on post-it notes. That was about the time when I decided I should rent a studio to start my work and make it official. Your work is as bold as it is brilliant. How would you describe your artistic style? I would describe it as brightly coloured contemporary art with touches of fine art within it. Someone once described it as “an iron fist in
“I would describe it as brightly coloured contemporary art with touches of fine art within it”
