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Articles posted by Josephine Zentner

Natasha Motaghi: Shaping Pictures From Words

Natasha Motaghi won the Amateur Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with her work Waters of August. In this interview, she discusses the challenges of balancing her creative practice with a 9-5, how her work is informed by her collection of overheard words and phrases, and stepping into the landscape of a song. Above image: Natasha in her studio Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Natasha: I was fortunate to grow up in a creative household on the outskirts of Manchester. My dad, a passionate painter, introduced me to drawing and painting from an early age. Every weekend, the dining table transformed into a makeshift studio where he would work with different mediums, and I would join in; painting, drawing, or making something crafty. As a teenager, I carried this creative energy into my education, beginning with an art foundation course at Winstanley College – an experience I remain deeply grateful for. From there, I went on to study Illustration and Textiles at Falmouth University before completing my MA in Textiles at the Royal College of Art in 2023. My practice has always explored the intersections of textiles and print, shaped by my background …

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Ky Lewis: The Essence of Trees

Ky Lewis won the Intaglio Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with her work Waiting For The Starman. In this interview, she discusses embracing the challenge of working with Tetra Pak, her visceral connection to trees, and keeping tabs on the resident spiders. Above image: Ky Lewis in front of her garden studio Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Ky: It is going to sound corny but I have always drawn, painted, printed… made things. Throughout primary and secondary school I had the best support ever from teachers who were really creative, and to be honest at the time, maths and science were an utter horror for me, so my world was art – in all its forms. I decided to do graphics initially – ‘It’s commercial art, you can make a living’ was the soundbite of the time. It was the early 80’s and so this is what I did, four years of it, but that foundation was incredible and Medway School of Art was an absolute joy with such a broad and intensive access to design, type, illustration, photography and really passionate tutors and excellent visiting lecturers. We were there everyday, all …

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Brianna Parker: Rhythm in Rituals

Brianna Parker won Péjú Oshin’s Choice Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with her work The Art of Frying Plantain. In this interview, she discusses physicalising her thoughts, the three stages of painting, and transforming a simple domestic task into a performance. Above image: Brianna in her shed studio space Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Brianna: I’ve always had a natural affinity for art. From early on, I discovered that creating was not only a way to express myself but also a way to make sense of the world around me. My sketchbooks became a space where I explored my reality, emotions, and imagination. Through exercising this love of creating I was able to refine my technical skills and visual communication, by experimenting with diverse mediums and studying the practices of other artists. My first step into the art world came through attending art school, which was an interesting yet eye-opening and formative experience. It not only allowed me to strengthen my artistic professionalism, but also gave me deeper insight into society and culture beyond the curriculum. Josephine: What does a typical working day in the studio look like for you? …

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Samir Rakhmanov: Colour’s Emotional Charge

Samir Rakhmanov won Anita Klein’s Choice Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with his work A Burial. In this interview, he discusses his shift from realistic to expressive painting, making the most of daylight, and finding beauty within grief. Above image: Samir in the studio Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Samir: I was born in a small town of Pavlohrad in Ukraine, but grew up in Baku, Azerbaijan. When I was a kid, I liked drawing – but honestly, nothing worth framing. My parents, being optimistic, put me in a small art school that had art lessons alongside regular subjects. That experiment didn’t last long, and I ended up in a regular middle school. For a few years after that, I barely drew at all. Then, in 8th grade, something clicked. I got hooked on drawing again, this time with a focus on manga, video game concept art, and illustration. That was the first time I thought, “Alright, maybe this is what I want to do”. A few years later, I got a graphic tablet and started doing a ton of digital painting. By the time I finished middle school, my goal was …

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David Rae: Golden Familiarity

David Rae won a Jackson’s Choice Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with his work Firestone 6. In this interview, he discusses the relevance of yellow, starting to paint less familiar places, and how a break can be a good thing. Above image: David in his studio Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? David: I’m not quite sure how or when exactly, I guess I always did some drawing and painting growing up, especially in winter when it was more miserable outside. I always wanted to go to art school, so that part was an easy decision. I studied in Aberdeen at Grays School of Art, graduating in 2017. I’ve been based in Edinburgh since 2021. Places and landscapes have always been at the forefront of my work, with the absence of figures being a constant. Josephine: What does a typical working day in the studio look like for you? Do you have any important routines or rituals? David: I try to get there by 9:00 am and look at where things are, and make a plan for the day. Usually I try to work on at least a couple of paintings …

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Janie George: Insistent Colour

Janie George won Andrew Torr’s Choice Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with her work Pine Cone. In this interview, she discusses her practice of writing to help realise an idea, the perfection of indecision, and turning to ceramics to slow her down. Above image: Janie in her studio Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Janie: I owe a lot to my mother who was very good at making things and had a good sense of style. We were a large family and had little money. Everything was pretty much handmade and hand-grown. She taught me how to sew, cook, and garden. She also bought me a sketchbook to record the wild flowers that I found. That experience of drawing to identify and know things was the beginning for me. I still draw things gathered from the fields. I was lucky in my art college experience; it was a more formal time, but people were pretty nurturing and kind. Although I paint now, I studied printmaking at college and lithography in particular. It was how I learnt to be very precise about colour. After college, I had longish periods without a studio. However, when …

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Martha Zmpounou: Visceral to Cerebral

Martha Zmpounou won Anne Rothenstein’s Choice Award this year with her work Dressing Up. In this interview, she discusses her hybrid creative practice, the unpredictability of watercolour, and her approach of discovering rather than creating her pieces. Above image: Martha in her studio Josephine: Could you share the story of how you became an artist and tell us more about your artistic background? Martha: I joined a foundation course at 18 to prepare for the fine art school’s entry exams. I then continued on to complete my BA in Fine Art and Painting at Aristotle University of Fine and Applied Arts in Greece. During that time, I experimented a lot with printmaking, in particular etching and woodcutting, along with my painting practice. Looking back, those years were not only very fun, but also pivotal to my growth as an artist and all that was coming. It was an intense period, very formative in many ways. After graduating, I stopped painting for a couple of years and turned to handmade jewellery instead. When that cycle came to an end, I returned to drawing and painting, and went on to complete a Master’s degree at Central Saint Martins. I started …

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Sandra Cavanagh: Transposing Thought and Feeling

Sandra Cavanagh won the Oil Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with her work Death of Hector II. In this interview, she discusses finding form in current events, feeling bereft when not working, and the fast dab of an unexpected decision. Above image: Sandra’s painting studio Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Sandra: I grew up in Argentina, within a deeply patriarchal and conservative culture, where democracy was imperilled by coups d’état, terrorism, and military rule. I witnessed the uncertainties of life in a police state where unchecked uniformed authority inevitably causes a breakdown of trust in the institutions of government. Early on, I cultivated an interest in a courageous, opinionated art, and to date, social injustice, violence, and gender inequality continue to drive the narratives developed in my work. Most recently, I’ve focused on the use of myth to comment on sociopolitical issues. The work evokes ancient and current power structures and the stresses these cause. I’m interested in the enduring nature of cross-generational stories in popular media and their use to contextualise public and private elements of our lives through the ages. I read Social Sciences at the University of Belgrano in …

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