INTERVIEW
Introducing Charlotte Mei
We’re excited to welcome multidisciplinary artist, Charlotte Mei, to the Grand Matter family!
Known for her serene paintings, playful ceramics and hand painted animation, Charlotte has worked on a wonderful array of projects around the world, collaborating with brands such as Sony Music, Lulu Guinness, Nike and Giphy, editorial institutions including the New York Times as well as arts organisations such as the V&A, amongst many more.
One of the things we love about Charlotte's work is the way she combines a calm and peaceful aesthetic with playful undertones, grounded in vivid yet considered colour palettes bolstered by her hand crafted approach. Always aiming to leave space for self-initiated work in her schedule, she enjoys the way commercial work and personal work sit alongside and feed from each other to create new things and experiences.
To introduce her way of working in more detail, we spoke with Charlotte about her influences, the importance of creating self initiated work, her dream collaborations and more!
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I try to take a few weeks out every year to take part in an art residency or carve out time for myself, to focus on painting and creating, in a novel location, even if it’s just somewhere in the UK.
– Charlotte Mei
How would you describe your work in one sentence?
I once read a description about my work, that 'it looks like a kid could have made it', which I think is actually a sweet complement, so I’ll borrow that!
I would describe my work as: Playful, painterly and process led.
Can you sum up your journey to where you are now as an artist?
I have been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember, and went Camberwell College of Arts to study illustration. After graduating, I continued my painting and ceramics practice at a studio in Peckham. Taking out a big loan from the bank enabled me to quit my part-time job and focus on my art. I bought myself time to lead my own projects, start collaborations and figure out where I wanted my work to go. Now I split my time between projects with commercial clients and working on my personal practice.
What are your main influences and inspirations?
The cartoons and anime I grew up with, fantasy art and writing. I like the sincerity, detailed lore of sci-fi and fantasy, ernest and indulgent depictions of dream worlds.
What are your usual mediums and methods?
I most often work in paint; acrylic and oils on board. I make initial sketches should the project require it, but I also like to go straight in and feel it out, working with a sense of immediacy and energy. It’s nice for the process to dictate the outcome in small ways.
Is it important to your practice to explore multiple disciplines and mediums?
I really like working across different media, I enjoy the tactility of paint, pencils, pastels, and different surfaces, and I also love the process of more systematic ways of working, like animation, where I can enter a focussed state for a long period of time and achieve a really satisfying outcome.
"
I enjoy the tactility of paint, pencils, pastels, and different surfaces, and I also love the process of more systematic ways of working, like animation.
– Charlotte Mei
How much emphasis do you put on pursuing personal projects and self-initiated work?
For me, experimentation is a big part of the way that I like to work. I try to take a few weeks out if I can every year, to either take part in an artist residency or carve out time for myself to focus on painting and creating, in a novel location, even if it’s just somewhere in the UK. These periods help me to focus in on process, experiment with materials and get out of my head, and this, in turn, feeds back in to the work I create back in the studio and for clients.
And finally, do you have any bucket list projects or dream collaborations?
Dream projects: A gallery show where I can share my new work, something large scale like a public mural, and I’d love to direct an animated music video!
Dream clients: Iconic fashion brands like Prada, Miu miu and Vivienne Westwood (rest in peace, a legend) or to make work for my fav musicians such as The Weeknd, Blackpink, Deftones.
About Charlotte Mei
Charlotte is a multi-disciplinary artist and illustrator based in London, currently working in paint, ceramics and animation. Her hand-crafted artwork is calm and serene, with playful touches and mellow use of bold colour. Clients include Sony Music, Hermès, Giphy and the New York Times, amongst more.
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