Anarkitty 4 November 2010

IrishStreetArt.com is delighted to feature the incredibly attractive, feline inspired, characters by Anarkitty. For those of you who have not yet been enchanted by the style icons of Anarkitty here is a little background info. Anarkitty (Emma Geary) is a thirty-two year old artist hailing from Ballycarry, just outside Belfast, who graduated from The University of Ulster with a Ba Hons degree in Art and Design. The name Anarkitty was born during the six years she lived in London. Whilst in London she creating mostly digital based character illustrations with her work appearing in publications such as Creative Review, Computer Arts and DPI (Taiwan) magazine and also created works for the likes of MTV, BBC and Pictoplasma’.

It was only on her return home she started to move her characters onto canvas. ‘In 2008 The Frameworks Gallery Belfast gave me my first solo exhibition and it took off from there’. Anarkitty‘s influences and inspirations come from Pinup girls, manga, tattoo, graffiti and toy cultures. ‘In general things like, Eyes, Pinup Girls, Manga/Anime, Cartoons, Girls with Tattoos and of course cats. I have had many Artist that have inspired me, all at different times. When I was a kid I loved Allen Lee, Brian Fraud, Kay Neelson ect. When I was in London I was really inspired by allot of Graffiti artist – Banksy, The London Police, Flying Fortress, Dalek, I could go on. Miss Van and Faffis work really inspired me to start painting again. Currently I am into Lowbrow, Pop surrealist artists like Audrey Kawasaki, Stella im hamburg, Amy Sol and Jaw Cooper once again to name but a few’.

On her Artist Statement: ‘I paint more for self discovery than as a means of expression. Inspiration comes from an amalgam of perceptions, and feelings from fleeting moments in time that I find beautiful, fascinating and provocative. Unable to make any sense of them in my mind, I draw. These daydreams/fantasy’s I play out through my paintings in an environment in which I feel confident and free.’

A prevalent theme running through all of Anarkitty‘s pieces stems from her fascination with Cats! ‘Inspired by their idiosyncratic ways, my “Ladies” have the same arcane attitude encased in a provocative and curious beauty. I want them to be comfortable within their own bodies; know their own mind; to have no feeling of restraint from surrounding judgements. Like cats, they have their own complete and individual personality with which they have a total sense of ease.’

When speakin of her approach and technique, Anarkitty tells us ‘there is an inadvertent sort of dualism… My paintings possess a child like sweetness but with dark undertones. I use outlines that are strong and controlled whereas my blending technique is soft and light. My choice of colour, can change from bright and colourful to dark and moody. I currently use acrylic and graphite on wood which I am really enjoying at that at moment. I strive to avoid becoming too entrenched in my comfort zone as therein lies predictability. I need to keep evolving and although experimentation will bring me frustration and anxiety, it brings its own elation when successful.’