q)Introduce yourself, name,age, location.
a)I'm Sashiko Yuen, although many of you know me by the name of Wishcandy! I live inSouthern California and i'm in my early
twenties. I'm an artist with an equal interest in beauty and the macabre.
q) Can you describe your path to being an artist? When did you really get into it?
a)I've been making art for almost as long as i've been alive. My favorite activities as a kid was to draw all over my mom's bills or sit and tempera paint while watching Saturday morning cartoons. I started getting really serious about developing my skills at the end of high school. That's when i was exposed to many different art careers and decided to go to school for it.
q) Describe your ideals and how they manifest in your work.
a)I don't believe in pure good or pure evil, i like to live in the greys and make my own path in life. So I enjoy juxtaposing darker subjects with a sweet colorful facade. A lot of it has to do with rejecting cultural ideals that we're taught and embracing ourselves. Learning through mistakes and savoring all facets of life.
q) Is music a part of your studio time? What do you listen to?
a)I have a really hard time working if there isn't any music! It really depends on my mood. It can't be too danceable or i'll do more dancing than painting. Lately i've been listening to Deerhoof,Frank
Ocean
q) How would you describe your work to someone?
a)This is always the trickiest part of first telling someone i'm an artist! I'd say I make colorful paintings of macabre femme fatales. Almost like Frida Kahlo in a sugar coma, though not self-portraits.
q) Influences?
a)There's a lot of them! Get ready. Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Henry Fuseli, Andy Warhol, Yoshitomo Nara, Frida Kahlo, Thomas Cole, a lot of 1960s cartoons, 1950s pin up girls, high fashion, and literature from the Romanticism period. I'm sure there is a whole lot more i'm missing.
q) Describe your process for creating new work.
a)It usually happens two different ways. One way would be when i have a lot of ideas coming to me i sketch them out (and they get used eventually). Maybe it's for personal use or for a client. The second way would be for me to throw on some music and figure out why i'm in such an odd mood. I try to get the feeling out through some sort of metaphor or create a character to express it.
q) What advice do you have for artists looking to show their work?
a)Make lots of work and put it on the internet. Talk to other artists, musicians, illustrators, photographers, etc. Make friends with people who you genuinely admire. Don't kiss ass.
When you have a consistent body of work make a professional portfolio hosted on your own separately hosted website. And reach out to people you'd like to work with. Don't be discouraged because the art life is full of rejection. Eventually you'll get a yes.
q) What are you really excited about right now?
a)I just released a pillowcase with the Stay Home Club and i've got some secret projects for wearables! It's amazing that people will wear my art and carry it everywhere. Love the enthusiasm.
q) What do you love most about where you live?
a)It's very sunny and i'm very close to a lot pop surrealist galleries! I moved here a few months ago and I feel thankful that i'm finally able to see art in person that i've loved for years. Finally!
q) Best way to spend a day off?
a)Kick back and relax with a movie! Get something sweet and start thinking up new ideas. I never truly take a whole day off, i just work a lot less.
q) Upcoming shows/ projects?
a)I've got art in two new zines coming out soon! Ahoy, Booty! and Moon Power (it's dedicated to Sailor Moon!)
a)I'm Sashiko Yuen, although many of you know me by the name of Wishcandy! I live in
q) Can you describe your path to being an artist? When did you really get into it?
a)I've been making art for almost as long as i've been alive. My favorite activities as a kid was to draw all over my mom's bills or sit and tempera paint while watching Saturday morning cartoons. I started getting really serious about developing my skills at the end of high school. That's when i was exposed to many different art careers and decided to go to school for it.
q) Describe your ideals and how they manifest in your work.
a)I don't believe in pure good or pure evil, i like to live in the greys and make my own path in life. So I enjoy juxtaposing darker subjects with a sweet colorful facade. A lot of it has to do with rejecting cultural ideals that we're taught and embracing ourselves. Learning through mistakes and savoring all facets of life.
q) Is music a part of your studio time? What do you listen to?
a)I have a really hard time working if there isn't any music! It really depends on my mood. It can't be too danceable or i'll do more dancing than painting. Lately i've been listening to Deerhoof,
q) How would you describe your work to someone?
a)This is always the trickiest part of first telling someone i'm an artist! I'd say I make colorful paintings of macabre femme fatales. Almost like Frida Kahlo in a sugar coma, though not self-portraits.
q) Influences?
a)There's a lot of them! Get ready. Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Henry Fuseli, Andy Warhol, Yoshitomo Nara, Frida Kahlo, Thomas Cole, a lot of 1960s cartoons, 1950s pin up girls, high fashion, and literature from the Romanticism period. I'm sure there is a whole lot more i'm missing.
q) Describe your process for creating new work.
a)It usually happens two different ways. One way would be when i have a lot of ideas coming to me i sketch them out (and they get used eventually). Maybe it's for personal use or for a client. The second way would be for me to throw on some music and figure out why i'm in such an odd mood. I try to get the feeling out through some sort of metaphor or create a character to express it.
q) What advice do you have for artists looking to show their work?
a)Make lots of work and put it on the internet. Talk to other artists, musicians, illustrators, photographers, etc. Make friends with people who you genuinely admire. Don't kiss ass.
When you have a consistent body of work make a professional portfolio hosted on your own separately hosted website. And reach out to people you'd like to work with. Don't be discouraged because the art life is full of rejection. Eventually you'll get a yes.
q) What are you really excited about right now?
a)I just released a pillowcase with the Stay Home Club and i've got some secret projects for wearables! It's amazing that people will wear my art and carry it everywhere. Love the enthusiasm.
q) What do you love most about where you live?
a)It's very sunny and i'm very close to a lot pop surrealist galleries! I moved here a few months ago and I feel thankful that i'm finally able to see art in person that i've loved for years. Finally!
q) Best way to spend a day off?
a)Kick back and relax with a movie! Get something sweet and start thinking up new ideas. I never truly take a whole day off, i just work a lot less.
q) Upcoming shows/ projects?
a)I've got art in two new zines coming out soon! Ahoy, Booty! and Moon Power (it's dedicated to Sailor Moon!)
