Brought up in the Borders and now based in London, the artist has exhibited in New York and Los Angeles. Her work has appeared in Vogue and Creative Review, and has been commissioned by Coca-Cola, New York Times, MAC, Nike, Taschen, Estrella, Salvatore Ferragamo and many others
My creative process has always felt like a wild land that I don’t want to tame. It’s in my nature to work spontaneously in a sort of ordered chaos, and this way of working has been integral to the development of my visual style and ideas.
After I graduated from Kingston University, my work underwent a transformation; without constraints, I found myself working like a dervish through the nights, creating a mass of work on impulse. It freed me up and gave my work the raw and energised style I had been looking for.
This creative moment was pivotal, and I always find myself coming back to it as it has helped me navigate my way of working and it generally encourages me to embrace the madness of it all.
The piece I’ve selected here, Set Fire, represents the playful, experimental state I’m in where something sparks and it’s a race to get it down before it’s gone. I wanted to juxtapose a monotone free-flowing ink portrait with bold geometric graphics, with each reacting to the other. I’ve always wanted to do collage in my work – I love its endless possibilities. I’m sure I’ll do more. The foundation of collage is completely unique in that imagery is built in a raw, haphazard way. I love how it resonates with my way of working, and I’m excited to see what will happen next.
Lynnie Z exhibits at The Book Club, London, until Feb 17.
