ABOUT KELYSE
The concept of survival may be interpreted in various ways, to me survival is about extinguishing fear and learning how to adapt. My research included delving into the world of fashion illustration and looking at work from the likes of Grace Ciao, Shamekh Bluwi and Bil Donovan who all specialise in fashion illustration. Their approach is experimental, using unconventional materials to convey ideas.
Similarly to these artists I wanted to work experimentally. I linked the idea of “survival” to my fear of illustration. Whenever I have been tasked with drawing I constantly look for ways to overcome the traditional pencil and paper method for example working with collage. For this project I gathered materials such as rubber gloves, leaves, buttons etc, I used these materials, not to mimic the garments completely but suggest their form. These drawings allowed me to maintain the theme of experimental and expressive illustration, existing both in the 2D and 3D world.
The series of images that stand as my final piece represent the idea of surviving illustration, adapting to a challenge and overcoming fear. These illustrations may look like simple figures on a page, yet they hold symbolic meaning and illustrate a journey of survival.
