New Illustration /

Lang Leav and the Bear Massacres

Australian artist Lang Leav is one the hottest young talents on the scene at the moment. But she seems to have come out of nowhere. We asked her about her background: ‘I studied design at the College of Fine Arts, majoring in textiles. Afterwards, I freelanced for a few years before I just kind of ‘fell’ into Akina. She was a naughty little character I created who attacks teddy bears to steal their button eyes! I put together a small t-shirt collection titled The Bear Massacres which I entered into the Spirit of Youth Awards sponsored by Noise and Qantas. Peter Morrissey who judged the fashion category picked me as the winner and has since been an amazing source of support. The award also allowed me to travel to Japan, which inspired me so much! The entire time I was there, I held back from doing any creative work and just allowed myself to absorb. As soon as I got back to Sydney, my head was swimming with images of fairytale villains and I immediately started work on The Teddy Bear’s Picnic’. You like to play on fairytale themes in your work. But there is always a slightly dark undercurrnt to the work. Perhaps things are not quite what they seem on the surface of the illustrations. Is this a fair comment?
‘My dad bought me a Fairytale book when I was about 11 years old. It was a huge, thick book – a collection of the complete and unabridged stories of the Brothers Grimm. To my surprise, the stories were contrary to the ‘happily ever after’ fairytales – the kind you would find in Disney films and Golden books. They were vicious and violent and often ended with children meeting their gruesome deaths. I think I realised then that in their purest form, fairytales are dark and twisted. This irony really influences my work’.

Your colour palette is quite minimalist but very you have a preference for strong blocks of colour. How do you decide what colours to use in an illustration?
‘I tend to use colours that help me illustrate a story. For example, I feel that red is a significant colour in Little Red Riding and on a visual level, something that the viewer connects with. I aim to create familiarity followed by a sense of disquiet as the finer details of the artwork reveal themselves. The use of colour is a very powerful tool that helps me achieve this’.

How would you describe the Akina world to someone who had never visited it?
‘If ever you happen to chance upon Akina, you will find yourself in a world that is enchanting yet strangely unsettling. It is a place where button fetishes are contagious, childhood nursery rhymes are interwoven with macabre themes and happily ever after is anything but’.

Is there one thing outside drawing that you continually strive to be better at?
‘I think experimenting with different disciplines has increasingly become the trend for designers/artists. Gary Baseman preaches the theory of ‘pervasive art’ where art is not boxed into one medium but can be applied to anything – motion, photography, illustration, fashion ect. I’m always striving to find new techniques, processes and materials as well as exploring new mediums to continually evolve and further my work’.

Are there any Australian illustrators that you have really admired over the years? What about music and bands?
‘Some Aussie artists I really admire are Lilly Piri, Nanami Cowdroy, Dane Lovett and Nathan Jurevicius. Each of these artists have their own unique style and create such beautifully, haunting work. In terms of music I really love stormy, moody acoustic melodies. My most favourite artist is Holly Throsby – I really love her melancholy tone and tender lyrics. Her music is so nostalgic’.

Do you work better during the day or at night?
‘I always find that night is when the creativity flows more freely. Especially since my work is quite dark and surreal, night is the best time to get into that frame of mind. I usually work a lot quicker and more intensely without the interruption of emails, phone calls and my little pug Toryolive constantly demanding attention!’

What’s one vital stimulant that never fails to get you in a creative frame of mind?
‘Definitely chocolate! I’m a huge procrastinator but every time I get something done, I reward myself with chocolate, it’s a great motivator!’

[www.akina.com.au]

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