Katharina Nyilas

Here's an article and few images from Katharina Nyilas (known as Katti amongst the studio).  I've had exhibitions with Katti before, she even organised one which we did together, back in February at East Gallery.  Katti's work is based around beautiful drawings of nature but with some upsetting literally trapping the content of her prints for example, a few months back she drew sea turtles appearing to be drifting in the ocean but entangled in rope and litter.

My Illustration is often based on environmental themes, as raising important issues within my work motivates and inspires my practice. This includes my latest work based around unsustainable fishing methods and the effects it has had upon our ocean.

Printing onto fabric has enabled my illustrations to take a physical form, which adds another element and meaning to my work. The process has enabled me to make a statement about issues through clothing, make work that serves as an everyday reminder to care for the environment, and add to the meaning of the message through the medium it is being conveyed.

1. Choose a noun, adjective and verb that best describes your work.

Nature, Analytical, Inquire.

2. Have you done any work outside of university?

I have carried out a couple of work placements. These were at Bray Leino advertising and design agency and at a props department at Shepperton film studios. I have also carried out a freelance job for a theatre production about the slave trade and organized an exhibition at East Gallery, Feb 2012.

3. What is your preferred working enviroment? (studio, home, music, outside?)

If I am drawing for first hand research I prefer to work on site to capture the atmosphere and really understand the subject. However this isn’t always easy in buisy places, so I sometimes prefer to take my digital camera and work from photographs in a quiet area of the studio, or at my desk at home. I find noise disturbing when I need to concentrate!

4. Where in London is your favourite gallery and why? Where was the last exhibition you went to and what did you think of it?

I don’t have a favourite gallery. I try to go to a different one every time I go to an exhibition, so that I am not exposed to the same kind of art every time. I want to be surprised and keep being inspired so like to have as open a mind as possible.

The last exhibition I went to was Yayoi Kusama at the Tate Modern. I have been inspired by her work since I studied fine art at college and it definitely lived up to my expectations. The environments Kusama makes to create a different reality are the most intriguing to me and something which I admire in her work.

5. What's does your next project entail?

I am on the search for a work placement that incorporates surface pattern design to expand my knowledge and enable me to fulfill possible future work requirements.

Katti will be exhibiting in the Broad Vision exhibition Inspired by... and IDENTITY 2012 where samples of clothing, prints and scarfs are available to purchase from our shop!