i am Ceptional; we are ceptional
featured artists
My whole life I’ve had moments where I lose myself in the beauty of an inanimate object or nature surrounding me. I’ve come to realise that art has always been my calling, my first love. Ask yourself, did anyone teach you to walk, or did it just happen?
I love abstract art because the same picture can provoke different emotions and thoughts from the same person, depending on the time and mood. When we fix our gaze, or stop time with the lens of a camera, we can do the same, but maybe with a few more boundaries. A flower is a flower, but it’s hue might remind you of a facet of someone’s character, or the lipstick of an acquaintance.
In my view art invites you to search your mind and dream. As you dream you are allowed to create. Thoughts and dreams are the precursor to action and manifestation. Without the promotion of individual thought, we fill the vessels of our minds with the thoughts, views and concepts given to us by others. This fosters a mechanical existence and a society akin to an ant colony.
The work I produce now indulges my loves for painting and photography by fusing the two to produce, multimedia hybrid art. Digital technology allows me to use elements of my photos as if paints on a digital pallet. If a piece is to be printed, the textile format is considered and the subject matter of the work might lead to the creation of a print on varied materials, archival paper, canvas, linen, or even velvet. Even when printing is complete further embellishment with acrylic, or oil paint maybe in order.
HIGHAN HARRIS
I have been creating from a very young age. Whether it be drawing, painting, plasticene, papier-mâché and clay modelling, I have found the construction of forms to be my indulgent pastime. Fast forward to my teenage pursuit in higher education specialising in applied art, illustration and textiles by undertaking a Diploma in Textiles and a Degree in Design, Innovation & Brand Management.
Yet, I eventually became one of those conformists to the corporate world and traded my paint brush for a biro pen by working in the financial services sector instead. Over the years my excitement for all things art never entirely escaped me and I would often be found scoping the corridors of art galleries and pop-up exhibitions, if only to voyeur what others have achieved in their art careers.
Ceptional Art C.I.C presents the opportunity for me to return to my first love as a vocation. I see art as ways to share stories, to celebrate cultural heritage and to engage new audiences. I enjoy pencil drawing, acrylic or oil on canvas/wood/paper to incorporate contrasting colour palettes with a range of visual elements, textures, and patterns that reinforce shape and depth. I especially love portraiture by often depicting female representations of the human body or face. I sometimes incorporate abstract structural points that identifies origins of landscapes, peoples and cultures.
SIMONE PAUL
