Interview

Sep 8

Halima Speight

Halima Speight is a British contemporary artist who goes by the alias of Limaxart. She creates whimsical art using vibrant colours and playful shapes. She has collaborated with several prominent figures in the entertainment industry, notably: Tom Zanetti and Martin Ford. She holds a degree in Fine Arts from the Universal College of Learning, New Zealand.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I stared drawing when I was very young, as I spent a lot of my childhood in hospital unable to walk, so all I could do was lay in bed and draw pictures. Then, after leaving school, I went onto to do a graphic design diploma then onto fine arts degree.”

What inspires you?

“My inspiration comes new from my past and my future. Then, I draw from my past of having grown up with a disability and having to wear calipers all my life and the future of love, happiness and dreams.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“I dream most of my paintings. I wake up in the night with an image that pops into my head and I have a little sketch book at the side of me in which I quickly write or sketch things in then go back to sleep. I’m really into texture and incorporating childlike flowers into my work at the moment. I think having worked in schools with children for the past 25 years is a massive inspiration to me. I just love bright colours and using my fingers to paint at times just like a small child does.”

“I think having worked in schools with children for the past 25 years is a massive inspiration to me. I just love bright colours and using my fingers to paint at times just like a small child does.”

How would you describe your work?

“Fun, quirky, bright, childlike and unique.”

Which artists influence you most?

“Frida Khalo, as she suffered the same pain and injury as I do in her left leg and this is reflected in her printings.”

What is your creative process like?

“An image pops into my head usually at night in a dream then the next day I get straight to work in a canvas. I experiment a lot while I’m painting as each image has its own process of bringing it to life.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“I sometimes like to make a statement and say what’s on my mind which can get me into trouble as I like to joke about things. I sometimes take a popular character and make it say or do random things, which makes me smile. I think it’s an artist role to make people happy and to take them away from their everyday life. I also want to make people think and cause a reaction in some shape or form. It’s about freedom to express oneself and bring out people’s emotions.”