Emi Avora is a Greek-born, UK-trained (Oxford University and Royal Academy Schools) and Singapore-based artist. She has exhibited in the UK and abroad. Solo projects include the National Theatre of Greece Athens, South Square Arts Centre, UK, The Apartment Gallery, Athens, Greenberg Van Doren Gallery, New York and Gallery Truebenbach, Cologne. She has participated in a number of group shows including Studio Voltaire, London, The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens, The Whitechapel Gallery, London and the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki. Her work can be found in private as well as public collections in Europe and the USA, including The Wonderful Fund collection and Marsh collection. She has also been an Elizabeth Greenshields recipient and her work has been in various publications including ArtMaze Magazine, the New York Times, Future Now, Aesthetica Magazine and Defining the Contemporary, The Whitechapel in Association with Sotheby’s. Her work was recently included in Be.Long.Ing, an online exhibition, organised by ilikeyourworkpodcast.com, as well as featured on online platforms http://yngspc.com and www.thegreekfoundation.com. She recently had an online exhibition at www.sidexsidecontemporary.com. She is one of the 2020 Delphian gallery open call group exhibition winners and her work featured in the last publication of Friend of the Artist (FOA) and of Create! magazine. Her most recent group show was in May at Alliance Française, Singapore and will be part of an exhibitions at EHL, Singapore in September organized by Intersections gallery. She is also currently holding a solo presentation at Fullerton hotel, Singapore organized by Intersections gallery.
Published on March 14th, 2022. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What are you currently excited about in your art practice?
I am currently presenting quite a lot of work in Singapore where I live and work and it is exciting that I can present it in a real space. The last couple of years a lot of work was presented online which was and still is great but if I have an opportunity to present work in the flesh then all the better. Since the summer I also completed quite a few larger works which has been very stimulating. I love working large scale while also retaining other formats The arena of a larger canvas is always very appealing and liberating for me.
I have also been making ceramics on the side. Its something I have been dabbling with on and off for a while but recently I started feeling that they could potentially become part of my overall practice. I have a long way to go but I am excited about it!
What were some of the challenges you faced last year as an artist? Was your work/ art practice affected by the pandemic this year, if so how?
The challenge has often been finding the uninterrupted time to focus in the studio. Changes to my kid's school schedules and continuous restrictions as well as a stint of home-based learning due to Covid meant that I could not dedicate as much time as I would have wanted to to the work. This puts me under stress and I feel it can affect the outcome. I work relatively quickly at times, but I do prefer to have the time to reconsider and rework on some paintings. It's part of the process. Balancing everything is for most people a challenge, I guess.
What does a typical day in the studio (or wherever you're making work) look like for you these days? What time of day are you at your studio, what are your studio must haves (ex: music, coffee, tools, etc), and what does your creative space look like?
I try to be in the studio around 8.30 am after the school drop off. Being a mother means no luxury of choosing when I can be in the studio. I have to use the time I have. My current space is quite large and I share it with another two artists. We often have different schedules but nevertheless it is very nice to have companions. The location of the space feels quite bizarre: it is very close to a motorway but it also has a communal garden with chickens!
I leave the studio around 2pm these days. I usually have coffee or tea in the studio and have the radio, a podcast or an audio book on for parts of the time there. I prefer to work in the morning if possible. I feel positive and energetic earlier in the day. I often work in the evening on admin tasks or work on paper at home so I have materials and paintbrushes at home as well as the studio. Its a juggling act and the schedule can change but I feel lucky and I am grateful I have a studio and some time to spend in there.
What resources for artists have you found helpful that may be helpful for other artists?
I have gathered a few tips on time management from other artists along the way- how to manage the time in the studio effectively and how to organize my painting archive so that I do not waste too much time. Platforms like ilikeyourworkpodcast.com can be very helpful with resources and they address practical problems that are not often talked about in art schools. Also it's been encouraging to see support for artists who are also mothers for example The Procreate Project.
What in your art career are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Do you have any specific goals or projects in mind?
I am really hoping that the borders will continue to open up and that the effects of the pandemic will subside so I have the chance to travel again and re-kindle some connections in other countries. As much as social media can bring us together by being able to view work from other parts of the world, it is also important to be able to travel and meet in person.
I have been lucky to be able to show work where I live and I would love to be able to continue showing and expand that to some other places too.
What are you currently excited about in your art practice?
I am currently presenting quite a lot of work in Singapore where I live and work and it is exciting that I can present it in a real space. The last couple of years a lot of work was presented online which was and still is great but if I have an opportunity to present work in the flesh then all the better. Since the summer I also completed quite a few larger works which has been very stimulating. I love working large scale while also retaining other formats The arena of a larger canvas is always very appealing and liberating for me.
I have also been making ceramics on the side. Its something I have been dabbling with on and off for a while but recently I started feeling that they could potentially become part of my overall practice. I have a long way to go but I am excited about it!
What were some of the challenges you faced last year as an artist? Was your work/ art practice affected by the pandemic this year, if so how?
The challenge has often been finding the uninterrupted time to focus in the studio. Changes to my kid's school schedules and continuous restrictions as well as a stint of home-based learning due to Covid meant that I could not dedicate as much time as I would have wanted to to the work. This puts me under stress and I feel it can affect the outcome. I work relatively quickly at times, but I do prefer to have the time to reconsider and rework on some paintings. It's part of the process. Balancing everything is for most people a challenge, I guess.
What does a typical day in the studio (or wherever you're making work) look like for you these days? What time of day are you at your studio, what are your studio must haves (ex: music, coffee, tools, etc), and what does your creative space look like?
I try to be in the studio around 8.30 am after the school drop off. Being a mother means no luxury of choosing when I can be in the studio. I have to use the time I have. My current space is quite large and I share it with another two artists. We often have different schedules but nevertheless it is very nice to have companions. The location of the space feels quite bizarre: it is very close to a motorway but it also has a communal garden with chickens!
I leave the studio around 2pm these days. I usually have coffee or tea in the studio and have the radio, a podcast or an audio book on for parts of the time there. I prefer to work in the morning if possible. I feel positive and energetic earlier in the day. I often work in the evening on admin tasks or work on paper at home so I have materials and paintbrushes at home as well as the studio. Its a juggling act and the schedule can change but I feel lucky and I am grateful I have a studio and some time to spend in there.
What resources for artists have you found helpful that may be helpful for other artists?
I have gathered a few tips on time management from other artists along the way- how to manage the time in the studio effectively and how to organize my painting archive so that I do not waste too much time. Platforms like ilikeyourworkpodcast.com can be very helpful with resources and they address practical problems that are not often talked about in art schools. Also it's been encouraging to see support for artists who are also mothers for example The Procreate Project.
What in your art career are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Do you have any specific goals or projects in mind?
I am really hoping that the borders will continue to open up and that the effects of the pandemic will subside so I have the chance to travel again and re-kindle some connections in other countries. As much as social media can bring us together by being able to view work from other parts of the world, it is also important to be able to travel and meet in person.
I have been lucky to be able to show work where I live and I would love to be able to continue showing and expand that to some other places too.
Find Emi Avora on Instagram