Jack Martin is a young Sydney based illustrator who has just published his first book!  ‘Drawn to Change: Calling For A Creative Counter-Culture’.  

Jack’s book reflects his personal experience of higher education in the arts and challenges what he sees as an overly systematic and structured learning environment - one that he believes contradicts the very definition of artist and the very nature of what it means to be creative. 

Jack has always been an illustrator, best known by the artistic alias JackMoney. He has just completed a degree in Creative Media and this experience inspired him to combine his illustrations with provocative personal commentaries on the art world and the arts education system.

University was a contradictory experience for me. Whilst it was a logical step for me to pursue higher education, by the end of my degree I found myself sincerely disappointed and confused! Whilst I value and accept the importance of higher education, and whilst I learnt a great deal in the process of attaining my degree, I noticed problems within the system that really troubled me.

I came up with the idea to produce an illustrated journal of my thoughts and experiences about being an artist and going to art school. I want to talk about the fact that despite having a natural talent for drawing and the benefits of a higher education, I often feel creatively uninspired.

My publishing journey began with some diary entries that focused on my feelings and frustrations about the art world and my place in it. I started making a little brochure and I just kept writing and drawing. Soon this little brochure became a book. I began approaching publishers. Admittedly I was a bit naïve! I discovered through this process that I didn’t have a proper ‘manuscript’. It was all still in Photoshop. I had to transfer it into a Word doc and also realised it needed professional editing. I found an editor in Sydney who spent a month or so doing some basic edits for me. By the time this was done I realised that self-publishing was the better way to go. This process took a couple of months and the book came out in May of this year.

‘Drawn to Change’ reflects on my experience as an artist and student. It argues that as a society we have structured and standardised learning environments way too much – especially within arts education. It argues that the arts education system ‘sets’ too many targets and goals rather than letting these targets and goals ‘evolve’. I want readers to reflect on the unique power of creativity as they read about my experiences and observations and to imagine what learning would be like if it was less structured and to imagine a world where we allow ourselves more time to experience ‘evolving’ creative practices - across the board, even in the business world.

Like most creatives, my expression comes from an intuitive and imaginative right-brain perspective. At university the creative space is more pre-determined, planned and located within a more analytical left-brain context. My once free and innocent imagination was forced down a very structured pathway. The learning environment was geared more around planned, problem-solving formulas, as opposed to free-flowing, evolving environments and experiences. Again, whilst I acknowledge the benefits of higher education, especially when it comes to getting a job, I also believe that creatives cannot truly manifest their creativity within overly planned environments or whilst focussing on the ‘business’ of being creative.

Jack believes that creativity and the arts sit uncomfortably within traditional educational formats. He argues that the creative mind can’t flourish if overly-directed and measured by pre-determined criteria and that the assignment and marking system within educational institutions, and the client driven world of a business model, negatively alters creative processes and outcomes - and the power these creative processes and outcomes potentially have.

As a creative I believe in self-discovery, experimentation, in having the time and space to explore the depths and limits of my imagination and not letting other peoples’ preconceptions of the world interfere with this creative journey. Having standardised marking criteria at schools and universities implies that everyone thinks the same way, or rather, that everyone should think the same way, which completely contradicts the inescapable subjectivity of individual experience. 

In my book, I address the issues that restricted and challenged my creativity whilst at university. I offer some ideas that hopefully remind us of the simple-but-profound purpose of art. It consists of three parts. The first, addresses how the contemporary external world shapes and often restricts our creative consciousness and practice. The second, explores some experimental solutions, and the third, emphasizes the benefits of an artistic (rather than a systematic) approach to learning.

Whilst the book is targeted towards artistic people, pretty much anyone can relate to its broader themes. I firmly believe that everyone is artistic in some way and can enjoy and apply creative concepts to their lives. Creativity is everywhere we look. Every one of us is in some sense creative. It might be easier to see in some more than in others, but given the right time and circumstances, we are all remarkable at something.

You can find Jack Martin’s inspirational book at www.bookdepository.com

As a young artist… I do wonder how I will support myself given the challenges associated with becoming an independent artist, but I can’t accept living my life any other way and I would rather struggle towards reaching that goal than settle for something else. Aside from my writing, I also design gig posters, band album covers and create logo designs - for friends mostly and sometimes pubs and music venues. This kind of work is really satisfying but comes in waves: I’m either swamped with jobs or desperately searching for them! I find I have less drive to do commercial/corporate work and believe I need to find a balance between this kind of work and my own creative practice.

Jack Money

My name is Brandi Salmon and I’m a young Indigenous artist from Mildura, north west of Melbourne, Australia.

My father is Wiradjuri but was adopted as a young child and didn’t grow up on country. His displacement effected my life too. It disrupted my sense of self, and place. Painting and drawing helps me deal with this sense of loss and confusion. I explore my identity, my Aboriginality, through creative practice. My mother is Tongan and European, she is very supportive. Despite being a single mother of eight, she still found time to nurture my creativity from a young age. She is the backbone of my family.

School didn’t really offer me the cultural experiences and support I needed so I was home schooled for many years. Whilst I found this isolating, it was good in the sense that I had the freedom to connect with and learn more about my own culture and explore my interests more freely. I recently completed a Bachelor Arts in Creative Arts at Deakin University’s Institute of Koorie Education. What I appreciated most about the course was the chance to connect with other Indigenous artists like myself. In my world creative practices are second nature and a huge part of Aboriginal culture. I’m exploring the person I want to become and see my creative self as part of this exploration and future.

I mainly paint Indigenous portraits, but I’ve been moving towards more impressionistic stuff lately. I’m really enjoying experimenting with my personal style. I’m currently exploring more abstract techniques, painting less traditional works, blending traditional Aboriginal art and contemporary processes. I’m also interested in appropriation - appropriating paintings by Frida Kahlo for example. The Rebel in me likes Kahlo’s works. I love the very direct stares she paints. For me the direct gaze is really important. Whilst I am a bit shy myself, I often paint subjects with this direct gaze and see my art as speaking for me in ways I may not be able to in person. The direct gaze in my portraits projects a straightforwardness - a frank and sincere provocation to look more closely at the contemporary Indigenous issues I am exploring and presenting.

I am also really Inspired by contemporary artist Vernon Ah Kee, a painter and drawer who includes text, video and sculpture in his works. Ah Kee explores his life experiences of colonialism and racism, bringing to light important personal histories and perspectives - something I feel my work explores too.

Brandi has just completed a screen printing residency with Mesh Mash (a social enterprise screen printing project) and Woods Street Arts Space in Laverton, west of Melbourne, as part of a creative partnership between Hobsons Bay Council and Deakin University’s Institute of Koorie Education. This Aboriginal artist residency program engaged Brandi (and an older Indigenous artist Paula Reeves) in designing and screen printing traditional artworks onto tote bags, tea towels and T shirts to help engage the local community in Indigenous histories and cultural experiences.

Paula and I gave a public talk and led a workshop as part of the residency, which was a really nerve-wracking but interesting experience.

Brandi’s current goal is to find time to collaborate with other artists.

I have Indigenous artist friends and plan on working with them in the future. I’ve grown up collaborating with my people in many cultural ways but want to include group artistic practice within my creative world too. Didgeridoo making is a really collaborative cultural practice for me. I often go hunting with my family and friends for Mallee wood to craft the didgeridoo from. Although Aboriginal women are not meant to play the didgeridoo (playing it is said to be bad for our reproductive system), we can help make them. The didgeridoo must be hollow, with no cracks. I usually help by knocking on the trees, listening out for the distinct hollow sound needed to make a good one. I also help strip the bark before letting the wood dry out.

Whilst sometimes traumatic, Brandi’s experiences of displacement, colonialism and racism have emboldened her, stimulating the artist and activist in her.  She is now studying law at Deakin University’s Institute of Koorie Education.  

People often ask me, ‘why study law? Aren’t you an artist?’ To be honest, I don’t see the need to choose one direction over another.  I’m exploring how I can incorporate the two fields within a life practice that supports me and my people. I’m not sure whether I want to actually be a lawyer, but I definitely know I want to educate and support my people. I want to offer legal advice and support that is easy to understand and access. I’m currently working as a paralegal with an Aboriginal and family violence prevention legal service in Mildura. I hear a lot of negative stories, but it’s really made me want to get involved in changing the way we feel about and engage with our Indigenous heritage and communities. Whilst it’s good that we talk about Indigenous issues in public and in the mainstream media, it’s often in negative terms and often results in negative experiences for Indigenous people. I experience a lot of ignorance and discrimination myself. I also witness the damage caused by drugs, mental health problems and suicide within our young Indigenous communities.

As a young Indigenous artist... I sometimes feel that I’m not taken seriously enough because I’m young. From an Indigenous perspective it’s actually easier to be Tongan than Aboriginal. Being Tongan is a less politically charged experience. People, in general, have much more of an issue with me being Aboriginal than Tongan. I have experienced many racist views and have tried to make sense of them all. Racism even forced me to quit one of my jobs. I’ve come to the conclusion that you just cannot make sense of racism, no matter how hard you try. I’d like to think my future work, both within the creative and legal fields, will actively help people acknowledge and reduce racism.

Mesh Mash
Woods Street Arts Space
Link to artist page: Coming Soon

Photo of Brandi by: Digby Bishop

In 2012, Jiya left her home country of South Korea to explore the world, learn about herself and rekindle the artist inside her. And what an adventurous life she has had since - travelling to Asia, Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand! Along the way she’s been making artworks, more recently in the form of pavement drawings in chalk. Jiya is also a photographer, glass blower and jewellery maker and has found that traveling has indeed reignited the creative fire in her and inspired a profoundly rewarding artistic practice.

In the beginning Jiya found travel, especially solo travel, hard and was frustrated by the many unexpected events travellers encounter. After a while though she learnt to accept, even welcome, the unexpected. Jiya’s refugee experience also helped her adjust to travel and she has even become comfortable travelling alone. I see foreign countries as places of escape, shelter and rest. I do not have a guide book, map or a plan. I don’t book accommodation ahead. I make the best of what I can find when I arrive. This way I have no expectations. I live in the present moment and enjoy the freedom this way of life brings me. You could call me homeless, even a beggar - but I call myself a traveller.

Her first travel bag contained many clothes and a range of personal items. Now it contains only a few garments, even fewer personal items and basic camping gear. My bag has lost half its weight, but my journal and online photo album have just gotten bigger and bigger!

Traveling has kept the artist in me alive. I had actually given my art practice up at home, but have found that traveling has given me a new creative drive and mind-set. Currently, I am working with chalk, in the streets of the many cities I visit. So far, I have made pavement artworks in Stuttgart, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, London, Melbourne - and hopefully many more in the future.

Hoodie Mag was fortunate to meet up with Jiya whilst she was visiting Melbourne. We spent some time talking with and photographing her as she drew on the pavement in Melbourne’s city centre. Jiya has a graceful poise about her, especially when she is drawing. Many people just sit and watch her draw, captivated by her calm and quietly composed manner.

Life happens on the street! People naturally approach me, sharing their cultural and life experiences - which in turn inspires me and my creative work. I love drawing in public and I love the direct interaction with people on the street. I particularly enjoy drawing with children. I often make a small circle next to my own, for them to draw in. Their imagination is boundless, like a well without a bottom - and so inspiring and motivating. To complete a drawing, I must clean up afterwards, which is my favourite and most peaceful moment. 

Dreams and myths inspire my drawings. I love bringing new life to age-old myths. I also want to bring awareness to the endangered animals in the countries I visit. Many of my drawings feature these wonderful, but threatened creatures. I want to reach as big an audience as I can with my art, especially so I can raise awareness for the environmental, social and cultural issues I am interested in.

I believe art is a wonderful communication tool. For me it speaks better and more than words, because of its unique creative force and its power to communicate and connect with people. I plan to travel for a while longer, but do have the fantasy of settling down one day in a small cottage, reading about mythology.

As a young artist…I find it frustrating that making art doesn’t really cover my living expenses. I’d love to be able to support myself through the making of art, but I always have to have a second job (often not art related) to support my creative life. My future plans include finding a career pathway that makes both a social and creative contribution.

@jchorona
www.jchorona.com

Photos: Jiya Da Chorona, Max Fotheringham, Max Life Shots, David Williams, Guy Le Guiff, Kaori Seki and Tiffaney Bishop.

Gastón Dinardi is a young collage artist from Uruguay. I´m originally from a city called Durazno, Uruguay’s old capital city, but now live in the modern-day capital and bayside city of Montevideo. Uruguay is quite a small country and the cost of living is high but, I love living here and am inspired by what’s around me. There is a rich artistic community in Uruguay and it’s full of really awesome artists, whom I admire a lot.

As an artist, I go by ‘Bad Collage’. I love collage as a medium because it means I can engage with other people’s stories. Gastón re-interprets and re-presents these stories through a physical and digital layering process - juxtaposing time frames, locations, events and subject matter to make powerful, often confronting, contemporary visual dialogues. Gastón doesn't consider himself the owner of these artworks. What really matters to Gastón is the effect his crafty collages have, how they are interpreted and the comments they make about the human condition - this drives me to make art!

It feels great to connect with the world creatively. A creative life allows me to discover more about myself as both a person and an artist. My whole world revolves around being creative and I love the fluid and free life of the artist. I studied Audio-visual Communication for a year but, found that being tested and graded kind of shut me down artistically, so I’ve taken a break from study. I prefer to live by what renowned American singer/songwriter and author Bob Dylan once said, ‘A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do’.

Gastón is also a composer, attributing musical greats like Jimi Hendrix, and his song ‘Bold as Love’ and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’, ‘Californication’ as profoundly inspiring his musical creations. He also cites Elton John´s piano compositions and Argentina’s rock and roll pianist Fito Páez’s song "el amor despues del amor", as significant influences. On a more personal note, Gastón credits George Harrison of the Beatles and his spiritual quest to be a better person as having helped him acknowledge and honour his own spiritual interests and desires for a creative life.

When asked what being an artist means to him and how he operates as an artist, Gastón responded by saying, I love that I have no artistic pressure to create work ‘for’ someone and that my creative process is completely fluid and uninhibited. I am open to new creative processes, ideas and inspirations, but really appreciate that I have full creative control over what I make. I also collaborate with artists from several other countries; Spain, U.S.A, Argentina and I´m working with a friend in Panama, who’s broadcasting his first solo album. I´m helping him with the CD cover art. It’s great to collaborate with people from different places and to share in a creative energy beyond my own. Just like with this Hoodie Mag colab!

One of my favourite works is called ‘Watermelon World’. In fact, I made both a collage and composed a song by the same name. These works are based on a dream I had about a place called ‘watermelon world’.  I´ve started focusing on my dreams more these days and it is this oneiric dimension that inspires my other-worldly creations.

As a young artist... I just love what I do. Honestly, I have never thought about whether being young is an obstacle. Perhaps that´s why I don´t see any obstacles.

@badcollage_

Images: 1. Happiness Horror Hope 2. Cosechadora de Mentirass 3. El Mundo de las Sandias 4. Forbidden love 5. Identidad 6. Moon Moon 7. Moonwalker 8. Sunset 9. Afriche Terraza Live.

Photo of Gastón Dinardi: As seen in Mosssaic Magazine, an art publication produced in Spain by @javitheillustrator (a friend of Gastón's and a future Hoodie Mag artist feature).

Simon Wilms is a young art director based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Simon has already worked on a number of high profile advertising assignments, with an interesting range of artists and organisations. The coolest projects I’ve worked on so far would have to be; helping create an intro animation for a TEDx talk and assisting in the design of a boat that was built inside a museum.

Simon realised he wanted to be an art director and work in advertising while visiting and walking on a muddy slope along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. The thought came from nowhere and now, 3 years later, I'm sitting in an advertising agency working as an art director.

As an art director, you lead and drive teams of artists and designers to produce a collective creative outcome. Directing a team towards a unified creative result is an exciting challenge. Individual artists and designers have their own ideas and styles, but in the context of an advertising or production agency these ideas and styles need to be considered, integrated and brought together to achieve ‘bigger’ creative outcomes.

I would say the main attribute to have as an art director is to be curious about the world around you. You have to be able to understand people on a daily basis and curiosity definitely helps with that. You also need to be motivated and ready for ups and downs in terms of employment and workflow. And you obviously need to like creative work. And if you love it, it'll make your job so much more fun.

It’s great being in the advertising industry, but I also have a personal artistic practice. I love creating unique visual experiences. It's hard for me to pinpoint where my inspiration comes from. I find inspiration everywhere - visiting museums, nature, travel, being on the street and my social world. These experiences inspire in me a range of creative responses and reflections. As an art director you work for others, but when I do my own artwork (even if in collaboration with other artists) it’s a different process. I don’t need to compromise to suit a commercial goal and I can be truly free in my expression. I also make music videos and I love to animate to music. I’m currently collaborating with some musicians where I’m able to use their music in my videos. I love how you can mix sounds, shapes and motion to create a unique, one of a kind experience.

We have a big art community in Gothenburg and there are plenty of interesting places to visit. A favourite place of mine is called "Röda Sten" which translates to red rock. It's a rectangular brick building located in the harbour, under a bridge. It’s an exhibition hall, a restaurant and bar, a creative hub, and it also hosts concerts and clubs sometimes. Outdoors you can do legal graffiti. Be sure to check it out if you visit Gothenburg. Another place to visit is a gallery called Tomassen, It’s a small place with super cool exhibitions from a wide range of artists.

As a young artist... you have many opportunities, which can sometimes be overwhelming. It can also take some time to find your niche. In Sweden, I would say that it's fairly easy to start an artistic path in life, but to stay on that path and make your living, you have to have a lot of determination and passion for what you want to do.

@simonwilms
www.simonwilms.com

Photo of Simon: St. Petersburg Russia, by Yulia Gadalina

Javier Guerrero is a freelance graphic designer, illustrator and magazine producer from Valencia Spain. Hoodie Mag met Javi through ‘Badcollage’ (an earlier Hoodie Mag feature artist). Javi’s online publishing project, Mosssaic Magazine, really impressed us and we thought it was a great story to feature in our own online Mag. Mosssaic Magazine professionally promotes young artists from all over the world - just like Hoodie Mag! We are thrilled to be connecting with him and Mosssaic Magazine and hope to bring you regular updates about this exciting Spanish based publishing project.

Javi launched Mosssaic Magazine in 2017. It’s a project that lets me combine my greatest passions: design, illustration and photography. It also gives me the chance to connect with other amazing local and international artists. Seven months in, my friend Jose Martinez joined the magazine and he now handles the editorial team. We hope we can increase the staff little by little so the magazine can continue to grow.

Mosssaic Magazine’s key goal is to show off the artists and art world around us. It features illustrators, music producers, graphic designers, photographers, motion-graphers, tattoo artists and many other young creatives. The magazine presents four different artists in each issue, focusing on how they work, their creative mediums and how they represent the world. Our goal is to give young artists international and professional exposure and we are really inspired by the level of participation and collaboration from the emerging and frontline artists we are meeting and featuring. Mosssaic Magazine’s 7 issues can be found on Yumpu, a popular platform for online magazines from all over the world. The front cover of the current issue features graffiti artist Miguel Ángel Belinchón (Belin) and one of his amazing postneocubismo style works. Belin is also well know for his photorealist murals.

Outside the magazine project, Javi works as a graphic designer and illustrator, working on brand design for a handful of corporate clients and independent artists. He also makes photo illustrations and digital collages in his spare time. I love working with photographic images and giving them a different look. I love combining the real and fictitious. I particularly like collaborating with other artists on creative projects - it’s such a wonderful opportunity to combine different artistic styles into one artwork. I’ve recently started collaborating with an artist called Tamara Bois. Together we have created a collective called Bogue Art. We are great friends and have similar design interests and aspirations and look forward to making some interesting work together.

As a young artist…. I plan to devote my life to art!

@javitheillustrator
javitheillustrator.com
mosssaicmagazine.com
@bogueartcollectibe
@joalyparaque  
 

Photos: By Javier Guerrero. Cesar Martinez by @pabl0gallard0

Picture all of those derelict, disused and forgotten places in and around our cities and towns. For some, these places represent excitement, adventure and exploration. Jacinta’s one of these people - she’s an urban explorer.

Outside work (Jacinta is a second-year apprentice automotive painter) she and her friends travel all over Melbourne and Victoria looking for places other people have left behind. Many people look at urban exploring as dangerous, stupid and pointless, but it’s a lot more than that says Jacinta. At first it was a little bit frightening, but now it feels comfortable - almost too comfortable! When asked if she had ever been discovered exploring these spaces, she said, almost, there's been a couple of close calls. You do have to be a little bit careful as you sometimes bump into squatters etc., but they are usually really nice people.

Urbexer’s have an insatiable drive to explore and visually record places that no one inhabits anymore, places that have been left to quietly decay. Jacinta first picked up a camera at around 14 years of age and her urban exploring has taken her as far as Morwell, Geelong and Colac. I'd love to do some urban exploring in Japan, she said. America is also on my list of places to explore, but the gun laws put me off a bit. 

Jacinta photographs these places on her Olympus M10 Mark II Mirrorless camera and often on her phone. Whilst I love photographing these places, the experience itself is as important to me as the photographic record I make. When I do take photos, I don’t do much editing, preferring to leave the images as natural as possible. The site, the space itself, is often the hero of the image - not camera techniques. The existing lighting in these derelict places is really interesting, with strangely beautiful shadows and contrast. Damaged walls, dirty, smashed and boarded up windows create amazing lighting effects. Hoodie Mag would love to support Jacinta (and her friends) in staging a photography exhibition or a projection and sound event one day - in a derelict space!

In 2017 Jacinta and her friends explored around 65 locations, including suburban buildings like warehouses, factories, old schools and homes, disused hotels, hospitals and automotive business. We go into the city a bit. There are more abandoned or disused CBD spaces than you think, says Jacinta. Often, we will revisit a building and enjoy seeing the changes, the increased decay and destruction that has gone on over time. The history of some of these places really impacts you when you are in the space.

There is a strong online community of urban explorers and Jacinta speaks to people online from all over the world. I love that I've had the opportunity to meet and speak to some amazing people from this community and established some great friends, like @frost_urbex (urbex-melbourne on fb). I really look up to some of the older, more experienced explorers like @msoupy and @mariachi.abandoned.melbourne, who I have been following since I  started. I also love the work of @r_o_n_e.  I met Rone recently at his Omega Project at Yarra Bend, north of Melbourne. The Omega Project saw Rone paint the interior of a derelict suburban home which was photographed and filmed before being torn down. He drew from memories of his own childhood growing up in similar mid-century Australian homes. These homes are being pulled down to make way for a new, more contemporary suburb. Thousands of people visited the Open House in July 2017.

When asked if she thinks she will stop urban exploring any time soon, Jacinta said, NO! I will probably do it forever! Just like people with the urge to seek out galleries, I and my friends have the urge to seek out derelict spaces. When you think about it, it’s not that different. These spaces arguably share similar exhibition, lighting and ‘spectacle’ qualities.

After talking with Jacinta and her friends, we at Hoodie Mag can understand the drive and desire to be an urban explorer! In fact, we were so inspired we arranged to go out on an exploration with Jacinta (and her friend @frost_urbex) and took some of the photos you see here.

As a young artist … I feel that I have a lifetime ahead of me. People might see being 18 as a disadvantage, but for me, being this young means I have many years ahead of me to continue doing what I love and progress to where I want to be. We all start somewhere, and I’ve had a darn good run of it so far! Of course, I wish I’d got into exploring even sooner and not missed out on some of the beautiful buildings that no longer exist like Hotel California in Hawthorn and Larundel Mental Asylum in Bundoora. But hey, with the years I have remaining, I’m sure I’ll find some equally amazing places.

@sonder_visions

Photos: Jacinta and Tiffaney Bishop

Ahmad Nur Ihsan is a young self-taught digital illustrator from Jambi, a big city in the middle of Sumatra Island in Indonesia, who loves to draw Hijab Girls. Hoodie Mag was struck by Ahmad’s playful, but respectful representation of the young Hijab Girl. At just 17, Ahmad has impressive design skills and a mature work ethic. We are thrilled to be featuring Ahmad in our collection of young artists.

I like drawing Hijab Girl. They are beautiful and most of my subjects are my friends, or my sister or my partner. I'm glad to see them happy and love to present them in this uplifting and positive way. I’ll often make a special drawing for a birthday present. I use photos (with permission) as the basis for my digital drawings. I use a wireframe and begin making line art. Line art is a graphic art that uses the line as a basis to create illustrations. I teach myself design techniques by watching YouTube tutorials. I also ask my fellow design friends lots of questions and spend hours on my laptop experimenting.

I get my inspiration from the internet and social media. I have a lot of designer friends and their posts and uploads inspire me. My artistic style is inspired by vector, WPAP and low poly techniques. I specialise in anomali pop art, a digital design style that uses an existing image as a starting point. This style of artwork reflects modern, everyday, popular culture in an often humorous and/or ironic way. Like the original pop art of the mid 1950’s and 1960’s anomali pop art often combines multiple colours, giving works a bright colourful, even kitschy appearance. My favourite work so far is 'Muslimah with Niqab’ (Muslim woman with veil, image #2) I really love this one. It's my best vector yet and I really like the style I am achieving here.

I find that whilst Jambi City has many designers, they mainly prefer to work alone, and don’t gather together very often. Because of this, I mainly connect with designers online, mainly via social media. There is actually a very active online design community and I really enjoy this world. I can connect with people with similar hobbies and interests and I also collaborate with designers who have more skills than me and this really supports me and my design work.

Nothing is instant in the design world. All work requires a process – some processes are more complicated than others. But, with learned skills, practice and the know how to operate apps, tools and methods you can create anything! I Use Adobe Illustrator CC 2015. (I cannot upgrade at the moment, because my laptop is not able to run it). I take orders and sometimes my friends ask me to work on their photos. I’m currently freelancing, but I really want to become a professional designer. In the future, I would also like to mentor other young designers.

As a young artist... I love that I have so much time and energy to experiment with my designing. I don't see being young as an obstacle. I have a laptop and internet - that is enough for me.

@creative.insomniac
Behance.com/Ryzemage

Images:  1. Your Hijab is forcing men to look deeper into who you really are. 2. Muslimah with Niqab 3. Sinta 4. Putri 5. Dianty 6. Muslimah with Niqab 7. Karnilasari 8. Fifi 9. Rizkia 10. Laura,

Have you ever cried listening to a song? Is it because you find the story beautiful or sad? Or does the music trigger a powerful reflection of something you went through, something within your own self? Or is it simply something that just happens, something you can’t quite describe? Music is both elusive and powerful and that's why I love it with all my heart. Sometimes an emotion can’t be expressed enough with just plain words: things like love, pain and beauty. A movie, a song, or a poem can often take these emotions so much further. My art practice helps me understand and really feel the world around me, its beauty and ugliness. Hopefully it helps others understand and feel the world around them too.

Hoodie Mag welcomes beatmaker Max Melodist to the fold. Max is from Yekaterinburg City, Russia, a city in the Ural Mountains, 1400km away from Moscow. It’s not really a major arts centre like Moscow or Saint-Petersburg, where all the creative power is and talented people flood to. But you know, Internet is power - you can connect with anyone, anywhere if you have the internet.

(Hoodie Mag agrees with you Max! We are loving our online connections with young overseas artists and the surprisingly genuine relationships we are building).

Max makes hip-hop music, engaging mostly with the USA, as he sees it as the centre of the music business. As a practicing artist, he watches tutorials, reads books and works on his music almost daily. What drives me to make art? First off, I’m incapable of doing anything else. From a young age I had hobbies like filming videos, photography, poetry and music. I keep these as hobbies, but music has become my profession. I studied movie directing, cinematography and photography, which I also include as part of my professional practice. What I can’t “say” in melodies, I can try to say in pictures or rhymes. I started making music seriously 2 years ago, bought my drum machine and fell in love with the sound as an essence. I find it amazing that you can combine the treble of the guitar with the bass of the voice and it becomes a new ‘other’ thing. I also find that making a video and posting it on Instagram is a very powerful marketing tool. I’m actually beginning to make a small income from selling my beats!

I’ve been listening to hip-hop since I was really young – I heard my brother listening to a song, called “I’m so fly” by Lloyd Banks and I fell in love with the vibe and energy hip-hop brings. Since then I have found many musicians and producers, whose work inspires me: Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Dr. Dre and many more. I also like other music genres, those on the edge of hip-hop and beyond, such as American indie rock band, The Neighbourhood. I often try to combine genres, making something different, something listeners can call “my sound”. That's my goal. I love the powerful alliances multiple creative forces can make - resulting in works you can never come up with working alone.

I get my inspiration mainly from music, literature, movies, paintings, street art, or just a small dance performance I see on YouTube. It can be amateur or professional - it doesn’t matter, I just have to feel it. I am also inspired by the world around me, especially when I travel. New places, new faces, all kinds of new things. I can see a beautiful dress on a lady across the street and think of a bar for a new song, or just a melody. Water is special for me: I love seas, waterfalls, even bathtubs! People really inspire me. I’ll often feel the energy of a man or woman I’m speaking with. Sometimes we don't even have to speak, it’s just in the air. But not everyone can give you that energy; some weaken it, so you need to be careful and surround yourself with the right people.

As a young artist… you can be fearless. You can choose any direction you like. You can become anyone. Who can find a new path better than the young artist? We represent the new generation! Art and culture changes with every generation, and it should. Young listeners reach for young musicians. It’s just how it works. They do, because they think you're “Something else”. You should never underestimate this.

@max_melodist
beatstars.com/max_melodist