A closer look at the FAITH XLVII creative process
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your artistic practice?
I am FAITH XLVII. My artistic practice is a way of constantly asking and reminding myself who I am. Of where we are. Of the existence we live in. To ask. To define. To redefine.
It can be painful or ecstatic. Comforting, sometimes uncomfortable.
What is your background and how did you get into design?
I come from a graffiti background. I'm a self-taught artist. I know what it's like to swim against the current, against all odds.
My roots are in South Africa, for which I am eternally grateful. It's the place that has taught me profound lessons and constantly humbles me when I drift.
I have tried (still try), in my own way, to carve out a life that matches what I want to live. This means that my artistic creation is a process of ritual, of inner transformation. It's not separate from the food I eat, my relationships, my heartaches, my existential questions, my feelings of despair and anguish, and my appreciation of all living beings.
What inspires you in your daily work as an artist? What triggers the creation of a work?
I used to be so inspired and motivated that I couldn't stop working, traveling and creating. From the age of 18, I was working non-stop.
What's happened in recent years is that I've started to see the need for more incubation. More consideration, change and deepening of practice. An appreciation of process and slowness. Less ambition, a more personal relationship with what I do.
Can you tell us how you go about creating a work of art? What are the different stages of creation?
The classic creative process is "saturation, incubation, illumination". Often, an image or words come to me as if by magic, I wake up from a dream to take notes. A phrase or image wakes me up and I have to document it.
Other times, I sit with an idea for months, even years, and it develops over time, in the background of what I'm doing. It slowly takes shape. In fact, I've got a few ideas germinating right now. I'm waiting to find the right vocabulary and language.
Follow the artist's news on her website and Instagram page.