Interview with Daniel Lumbini

q)Who are you? Where are you from and where do you live now?

a)My name is Daniel Lumbini, and I’m a painter. I’m from a place called Harlow, in Essex, UK.

q)What is it that you do? What media do you use?

a)I like to think I’m striving for something a bit different, and get bored very easily just doing one thing, so like to mix mediums that wouldn’t usually go together – like oil painting and collage, or collage and spray paint. I might spend hours on a painting, but then completely subvert the image in a second by changing the media. I think I’d consider myself as a subversive, if that is such a thing…

q)What do you think sets your work apart?

a)I’m not content to just follow trends and just do my own thing – I think having such a diverse range of influences sets my work apart - so I take influences from traditional painters, as well as contemporary and urban art, and the end result is all of that blended into one. I’d like to think I’ll pioneer a new movement some day - I’m not content to just be another painter.

q)How long have you been showing your work for? Did you have a “big break?”

a)I don’t think I’ve had my “big break” just yet, I’ve only been showing my work for about a year – after taking a ten year hiatus from painting - and people have only just started taking notice of what I’m doing. I’m quite glad though, as it’s allowed me to experiment and grow as an artist, under the radar.

q)What are some things that have inspired you?

a)Travel has inspired me a lot. I’m also fascinated with evolution, abnormality, as well as the media perception of beauty. I’m not interested in painting society’s perception of beauty, but the kind of beautiful accident you get from a random placement of something odd, much the same way nature might give a beautiful girl a big nose, which will in turn make her look quirky instead. I like quirky. I also like artists that stray from the obvious (and quite banal) subjects because they’re pretty: Jenny Saville, for instance, or Bacon and urban artists like Bast and Judith Supine.

q)What have you been working on recently?

a)I’ve been working on a bunch of new studies as well as a print that will be coming out just after Christmas, I think. I’ve also been doing some more traditional portraits, but I also have something quite radical in the pipeline as well…

q)Do you listen to music while you create your work? If so, would you give some examples?

a)When I’m in “the zone”, I will usually listen to the same song on a loop for hours – I find it quite hypnotic. Depending on my mood, I love Brandon Flowers Crossfire at the moment (which I think I’ve worn out), but for fun it would have to be Justice or Daft Punk, or if I’m in a really dark place then Nirvana.

q)Do you do work in any other media? Other projects not necessarily related to your main body of work?

a)I don’t consider myself a street artist, but I can use a spraycan as good as the next guy, and love painting as big as I can get, so if I get the chance to do something outside then I will always be up for that. I’ve also started doing some street installation work, and did a wall with Penny recently, who is a well-known stencil artists. While our two styles are a million miles away, I loved the added dimension this gave to the piece. We’re planning some even bigger projects for the new year. The new body of work I’m exploring is going to introduce some very diverse elements into my paintings … things I’ve never even tried before.

q)What advice do you have for artists looking to show their work?

a)Just keep going. If your work is good enough, eventually someone will take notice, but you also need to put yourself out there – an audience isn’t just going to come and find you. Do lots of little shows to build confidence in showing your work, go to private views at galleries and meet other artists and collectors, don’t be too precious about your work either - give things away if you have to; people talk and word of mouth is the most important thing when you’re trying to get heard. But, more importantly, if you rest, you rust!

q)Do you have any upcoming exhibitions of your work that you can mention?

a)I have a show on at the moment called In/Human, which is a group show in Chelsea, West London, that I’ve co-curated with Richard Grindy from 2R Art, featuring David Walker, Nick Gentry, Penny, Christopher Moon and Joseph Loughborough. The show runs until December 23^rd, with a Christmas Party and private view on the 16^th of December. I’m also in talks about curating another show (which will feature some new work also), but will be far more contemporary than anything I’ve done so far.

q)Where can people see more of your work on the internet?

a)I’ve just built a new website where my most recent work can be seen: www.dlumbini.com, or via my flickr page which I use more as a blog nowdays: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lumbini/