BA Fine Art students discuss artists that should be on your radar

To highlight International Artists Day, in this blog series, we meet two current BA Fine Art students who will take us through artworks by artists currently influencing their creative practice during their degree.

Meet Ryan Ip, currently in Year 1, Ryan draws attention to the work of Peter Doig for International Artists Day.

You selected Peter Doig as the artist that has most impacted your creative practice at NUA. Why?

I was introduced to Peter Doig during my final project in Year 0 and he inspired a lot of my artworks. The painting that affected by artwork the most was ‘Ski Jacket’. It depicts people skiing for the first time.

Peter Doig paints the figures in awkward positions to symbolise people stumbling and struggling when learning to ski. The main reason I love this painting is the colour used in the background. Normally when you paint snow, the white will naturally make the viewer feel cold. Doig did not want that, so he altered the colour to yellow and pink, representing the light bouncing off the sloped to create a warmer environment.

This is also enhanced by the multiple layers of paint to create a sense of depth. Doig would purposely paint thin layers to make the background seem psychedelic. These elements combined with our predisposition of relating snow with happy thoughts makes viewers feel nostalgic and pleasant.

How have you incorporated Doig’s methods in your own work?

I adored Doig’s method of using colours to represent a certain feeling and to relate it to the viewer. After practising and experimenting with this process, I managed to incorporate it into my artworks and it has drastically changed the outcome of my projects.

I find Peter Doig’s work extremely captivating; I will continue to use his works as inspiration, and I hope you take a look at his work and find something that inspires you.

Ardra Nair is in Year 2, BA Fine Art and has chosen to highlight the work of Lina Iris Viktor for International Artists Day.

Why have you selected Lina Iris Viktor as a significant artist to focus on for this blog?

Lina Iris Viktor is a British-Liberian artist based in New York whose work deals with concepts of black female divinity, African culture, and heritage as well as the symbolism of black and gold as colours. Viktor’s work is generally quite intricate and aesthetically pleasing to the eye, however the symbols and colours she uses always have a deeper meaning to serve. 

Viktor’s work is significant to me as I am incredibly fascinated by the plethora of cultures that exist around the world, and when someone works to have them seen and represented in such a special manner, it makes you think and embody the passion, thought and care that goes into valuing your heritage. 

How have you adopted Lina Iris Viktor’s methods in your personal work?

Viktor’s work has influenced my practise since I researched her initially during high school and her work has only continued to be inspired by the conceptual potential of her forms. 

I have taken more of an inspiration from her colour palette for my practice at NUA, especially considering I was in the process of creating my own colour palette to represent a contemporary notion of divinity.

I think other students and simply more people in general should learn about this artist because her work is not only completely stunning to look at, but the depth behind each stroke on her canvases is more than enough to inspire thought and creativity within anyone regardless of their artistic interests.