High Artist Spotlight: Gynelle Alves
Gynelle is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer for work. For love she is a closet anthropologist and psychonaut, draws things out of her head, dances like a clumsy but ecstatic summer bear in secret places... is butler, safe place, sucker to and for little hungry homeless creatures who find her, hold their sweetness like a gun to her life, emptying pockets but filling her heart.
She loves loves loves God in all God's expressions - trees, birthday cake, your face, moths, the wind, mushrooms, a good smoke, music, aardvarks... and laughs in unrestrained glee at the cheeky miracle everything is because sometimes that's all she got to hold on to.. and it is good.
She lives in Bombay, India.. or at least that's where she currently stashes the body and will always share her sandwiches both metaphorical and tomato.
We recently caught up with Gynelle after High Art 2022 to learn more about her most recent inspirations:
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Where do you find your creative inspiration?
I think it finds me... i find it hard to call myself an artist, mostly i feel like a translator
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Why do you do what you do?
because when i don't something inside me dies
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What art/artist do you most identify with?
music... think our families raise us in one way but the music we feel drawn to and listen to makes us grow...
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What themes do you pursue the most?
God and how it feels
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What role does an artist have in society?
to colour out of the lines, to make you remember who you were and still are, to tell you come out and play
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What is your artistic outlook on life?
wow... these questions... no one has ever asked... i need to think... i have been accused of living in unicorn land because sometimes the things im shown just takes my breath away...
i believe every single thing is an expression of God... i think God is a child's word made small enough to fit in our mouths so we can carry it easily... it breaks my heart when people don't look beyond what they're blinkered to see as life... i think love is the only way
wow... these questions... no one has ever asked... i need to think... i have been accused of living in unicorn land because sometimes the things im shown just takes my breath away...
i believe every single thing is an expression of God... i think God is a child's word made small enough to fit in our mouths so we can carry it easily... it breaks my heart when people don't look beyond what they're blinkered to see as life... i think love is the only way
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What advice would you give to your younger self?
time takes the time time takes... so what if you're a weirdo, weirdo. it's your nature its going to come out one way or the other... and don't worry... all the times you felt like dancing but thought you'd be judged so you hid in the corner.. well you'll dance... and have been judged both unkindly and kindly... but you'll keep dancing and screaming and making a ruckus... because all those things come out one way or the other...
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Do you listen to music while you are creating? If yes, tell us your favorite song and artist.
Always... it really depends on where my hearts at... I really love all kinds of music but some of my favourite artists are Beck, R.E.M, Erykah Badu, DMX, Busta Rhymes, The Beastie Boys, The Indigo Girls, Bananrama, P.M.Dawn, The Travelling WIllbury's, the Gin Blossoms, Brittany Howard... ok I just love music... and am so grateful to have ears
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What's the best thing about being an artist?
i get to play!
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What is your dream project?
always the one im working on... and i'd love to get people who think they can't to paint
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