Lina Redford
24.06.2023.What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
While finishing my Master’s Degree I was drawn to the creative aspect of the business world and started to explore shapes and mediums. Later I found guidance at the studio of Czech based oil painter – Lana Frey, where I studied art principles for two years.
Later we created the “Alternative mythology” collection – a series of artworks with reimagined legends.
Which current art world trends are you following?
Every artwork creation is a sort of performance that I share in the form of a reel on my social media platform. I often use Artificial Intelligence to inspire myself on.
Some of my artworks are created to transmit strong social message about equality and femininity.
Artwork “Young David” was mentioned in a biggest German speaking newspaper- FAZ (The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung) raising a topic of new masculinity. And “Red Diamond” was a part of the exhibition sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Equality.
Also, I’m open for collaborations and combining all mediums in all forms: photography, graffiti, textile and etc.
What does your art mean to you?
Being an artist is about so much more than just about making a living to me, it’s a lifestyle, the ability to see in colours and emotions and transmit them into palette knife strokes.
I love seeing myself as a “strong female character”, and I really like hearing stories of girls and women who express themselves to the fullest, beat their fears and live a life of exploration. So I created a symbol of that – a tiny hummingbird that despite her size is still the most colourful bird on the planet. Usually in my paintings you would see a “background story” and a hummingbird that shines and brightens through everything. (A little tip I have never shared before: to see that it is a “female character” you need to find XX on the bird, that very obviously stands for two X chromosomes).
I like the concept of contemporary art, that it is an intimate story of an artist and you will not be able to understand it unless someone explains it to you. I see that a lot of people, me included, are afraid to be seen as fools because they don’t understand contemporary art, so the idea that someone (the artist themselves) needs to tell you it’s story first is very liberating in my opinion.
Basically I’m aiming to create an artwork that can exist with or without context: there’s something in the painting that makes you want to look and enjoy it, but also when you give it a context or a story – it will have deeper meaning. My art is a collection of moments and memories, stories that happened to me or what I witnessed, read or reimagined.
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
It always is an improvisation, unless I have to work on commissioned piece.
I’m very influenced by my mood, surroundings and the weather, I really need to take time to meditate and “feel” the inspiration around me, before creating.
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
The one that yet is to come!
You can only see my artworks that I truly feel in love with. And I know that my style is changing year after year and I’m proud of the artist I am and excited about who I will become in the future.
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you’d like to share?
My collaboration with a recognised Belgian photographer – Eric Ceccarini made it to major art exhibitions and fairs, such as Art Basel in Miami, 2022
My artworks featured in a significant woman rights movement celebrating the international day of elimination of violence against women in Ibiza – Silenciades (Silenced) was referring to all female artists who were silenced throughout art history. This was sponsored by the ministry of equality of Spain, and it meant a lot to me to be able to be a part of it. It was a very moving event to see so many women from different backgrounds bonding together and feeling empowered to finally speak up through our works for so many who were never able to.
In the beginning of 2023 I had my solo show “AMOR OR?” supported by a 5* hotel in Palma de Mallorca, with the event where I had a live painting and creating design for a car – the purpose of the exhibition was to delve into the definition of Love and how other people see it.