Q&A with Sabina Pieper
Sabina Pieper's opulent artworks represent formidable women, inspired by the Tudor period, yet her approach is contemporary and unique. She incorporates imagery such as electrical items, insects and nature, combining all this with her mixed media techniques.
We wanted to know more about Sabina and her artworks, and I hope you do too. Please see what she has to say...
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I have always wanted to be an artist. When I left school after my A-levels, my parents were not very supportive of the idea and pressured me to work in 'a proper job' first. I then decided to study graphic design and business, which allowed me to work in the graphics department of an investment bank.
What made you move to England
I was in my early twenties when I arrived in London, and it was a desire for travel and adventure that made me come here. I initially had planned to only stay three months, but I loved it so much I am still here.
You spent several years in corporate graphic design, tells us how and why you made the transition to become an artist.
When I turned 40, I felt that I had to finally do what I always wanted to do – being an artist. It was an early mid-life crisis ;-). During the 12 years that I worked for the corporate world, I went to evening art classes, always had a little studio (but unfortunately no time to go!). Then I decided to do a BA in Arts part-time at Goldsmith College.
Tell us why you have chosen collage as your primary technique?
I love layering, patterns, different techniques and textures. My paintings are about all that. I don't usually call them collages as they are so much more. They are like paintings, but the art consists of cut-outs from my sketchbooks and old paintings that I 'recycle' in that way. To add to the opulence and flamboyance, I allow myself to use EVERYTHING that takes my fancy. These could be Tesco plastic bags, PVC table cloths, magazine images, packaging tape, stencilling, lino prints, pencil drawings, botanical illustrations, wallpapers, carbon copies, photocopies, watercolour, oil, acrylics, graphite dust, spray cans, candle wax and more!
Why do you choose to work on paper? And tell us about the other materials you incorporate into your work.
This is mainly for technical reasons. Paper allows me to stick things on AND to draw intricate pencil drawings.
What is your starting point for your pieces?
Most of my artwork at the moment is based on Tudor images that I have seen in the National gallery. I love those paintings for their amazing patterns and textures.
There are many unexpected elements combined and represented in your work, like animals, nature, insects, objects even electrical items. Why do you include these imageries, and what is their meaning?
I love the idea of starting off with a painting from the 16th century and express and interpret it in a contemporary way. I sometimes use images that I find on the internet, on google, and there is a bit of irony in that. Using something so contemporary for a traditional subject matter, but I feel the outcome is the same, a multitude of textures and layering combined with opulence. There is something about eternity in combining the past with the present.
The characters in your work depict formidable, powerful women. Why do you create these figures, and what do they mean to you?
I have always been drawn to painting people rather than say landscapes or something abstract. So from the beginning, I knew I wanted to paint people. It never occurred to me to paint male portraits. I think this is due to the simple fact that I am a woman. Many female portraits in museums and galleries are shown in the nude or partly nude, or they are the artist's muses (mistresses). Even today, a lot of artists when they paint women depict their naked bodies. I never felt the need to do that. My ladies couldn't be dressed more. The dresses, in their multi-layeredness and opulence, are expressions of letting one's imagination run wild, of experimentation, freedom of my own expression and permission to explore and be creative, diverse and paradoxical.
Do you have stories behind each of your characters? Can you share one with us?
Each character comes from my imagination, and I like the viewer to bring their own interpretations.
You prefer to work on large scales, why is that?
I believe that the scale of artwork, as well as the medium an artist chooses, are linked to one's personality. I could not imagine to work small or to use just one technique for the entire painting. I am not patient or careful enough for that.
Your work has a dream-like quality to them, can you share with us a dream that you can recall?
That is an interesting question. For some reason, I have never dreamed of any of my paintings. Perhaps because I’m so preoccupied with them during the day that my nights need a different subject matter.
Has your German heritage influenced your work and if so, how?
I left Germany when I was quite young, and I don’t really feel German anymore. I see myself as a global citizen without a specific cultural heritage, if that makes sense. My art is influenced by being in London or in England but not necessarily by being English or a Londoner.
Which artists inspire you the most?
I love pantings by
Del Katherine Barton
Rammelzee
Charlotte Schleifert
Maria Berrio
Chris Ofili
Gustav Klimt
What would you say to the people that love and support your work?
I’m always incredibly grateful when one of my paintings has sold. It’s such an amazing feeling when something that I created from an idea that came from within me - as opposed to an idea that solves a certain given problem as in when you create a product for example - is appreciated by someone else.