Artist Interviews

Read artist interviews featuring some of the most exciting established and emerging figures in the art world. Our conversations with contemporary artists get to the heart of what makes them tick, exploring the development of their style, their inspirations and the stories behind their recent work. Discover our artist interviews to get to know the people whose works that you can browse and buy in our online store.

Our top artist interviews

One of our most popular recent interviews was a talk with Nelson Makamo, a South African painter and winner of 2018’s Rise Art Prize known for his expressive portraits. Our conversation with Kelvin Okafor, who creates intricate photorealistic pencil portraits, dove into his unique fusion of the technical and the conceptual. You may also enjoy our interview with Fred Ingrams, in which he discusses both his technical process and what drew him to start painting the Fens.

Interviews you won’t want to miss

Among our contemporary artist interviews, you will find our Q&A with Philip Vaughan, author of the landmark 48ft-tall Light Tower which graced the London skyline from 1972 to 2008. You can read about the machinations and motivations driving rising star Anna Sofie Jesperson. Our interview with Mark Chadwick may also be of interest, where the colour master shines a light on the inspiration behind his vibrant abstract paintings.

Krista Kim: Understanding Techism

We interview Krista Kim, who’s bold digital colorfield DNA has become a modern icon. “It is integral that art and the intention of serving humanity is at the core of all technological innovation and that is why I feel compelled to advocate this philosophy as a bridge between art, Tech.”
By Phin Jennings | 08 Nov 2019

Nadia Day Q&A

Nadia Day is an Impressionist landscape artist based in Teddington near Richmond. She paints views of nature, both local and further afield through seascapes and commissions. Nadia studied art at Kingston University and gained a BA in Drama & Theatre Arts from Birmingham University. She describes herself as a self-taught artist, her path evolving from a career in illustration and advertising visuals to today's strong, painterly style. We caught up with Nadia to find out more about her journey as
By Rise Art | 15 Oct 2019

Kelvin Okafor's Emotional Realism

Conceptual art favours concepts, ideas and emotions over aesthetic and technical consideration. Since Marcel Duchamp installed a urinal in a gallery over 100 years ago, it has remained a popular movement. At first glance Kelvin Okafor’s painstaking photorealistic portraits, each of which takes hours to complete, might look like a reaction against this movement, but he disagrees.
By Phin Jennings | 05 Sept 2019

Marianne Nix: The Exploration of Legacy and Ideas

Living and working in London Marianne Nix creates work considering legacy and ideas. Discover more about Marianne in our Q&A. Artist interview. Meet the artist. Behind the scenes. In the studio.
By Bethan Street | 23 Jul 2019

The Communicative Songs of Persi Darukhanawala

Persi Darukhanawala is a Persian Zoroastrian artist who works across media. Persi thinks of his artworks as 'songs', describing each as an “explosion of energy, meaning and communication”.
By Phin Jennings | 02 Jul 2019

6 Questions With Anna Sudbina

Anna was born in Moscow in 1984. She came of age in the post-Soviet Russia where apart from doing academic drawing and painting she studied linguistics, philosophy, and psychology. She continued her art training at Central Saint Martins. We catch up with Anna to discuss her life as an artist and how recent motherhood has affected her practice.
By George Greenhill | 07 Jun 2019

10 Questions with Harriet Hoult

Harriet is a London based abstract artist, working with acrylic and mixed media on paper. We ask Harriet about her concepts, style, sources of inspiration and process. Read on to find out more.
By George Greenhill | 24 May 2019

Alexandra Gallagher | Where The Surreal Meets The Bizarre

Alexandra Gallagher is a British artist whose work celebrates the surreal and the bizarre. Her thought-provoking paintings and collages explore the realms of dream, memory and the imagination. The artist allows her imagination to run in any creative direction resulting in visually appealing works that are evocative of the Surrealists while offering a contemporary take on both the materials and the subject matter. We ask the artist 5 questions about her work and life as an artist.
By Bethan Street | 09 May 2019

5 Questions With Heidi Thompson

Heidi Thompson was born in Vernon, Canada. After graduating high school she moved to Europe to study. Her extensive education includes a degree in photography from the University of Art & Design in Zürich and some time at the Hungarian State University for Fine Art. We catch up with Heidi to find out more about her process and the philosophy underlying her awe-inspiring art.
By Phin Jennings | 16 Apr 2019

Joe Hesketh | A 21st-Century Woman

Joe Hesketh’s paintings are dynamic statements about the human condition. We ask her about her experience as a woman in the male-dominated art world.
By Bethan Street | 12 Mar 2019