Interview

Paartssion (Samira Aicha)

Paartssion was born and raised in Cameroon, and is currently based in London. Originally a university math’s student, she also has a huge love for art - two different worlds which bond together in a strange, but satisfying way.

Paartssion is inspired by the people who surround her and the beauty of the world. She wants to translate these feelings through her art. Her evolution in the world of art allows her to challenge herself and introduce other techniques to sharpen her talent even further.

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

“I'm a young African woman who comes from Cameroon, where I lived with my grandmother until the age of 11. I then moved to the United Kingdom where I rejoined my parents and sister in London. My childhood as been quite upside down, as I grew up without my parents beside me. I understood they were doing all they could to provide me with what I needed, and so didn’t harbour any type of negative feelings towards them. Besides, I had an extraordinary woman in my grandmother, who taught me so much about life and always believed that I could become my own person in life. Even though she has left this world, she still remains in my heart and many others.

I am a Masters student in mathematics, and it’s quite surprising as studying mathematics had never crossed my mind. Through the influence my father had on me, I took an interested in the subject. But it’s a very different story when it comes to art. My interest in art has always been there since I was young, ever since I saw my cousin drawing characters in our living room. She taught me how to draw, and I practiced every single day. I would draw characters from my favourite anime shows.

Sometimes I would steal comic books from my cousin (she didn't like sharing them with me), and reproduce the same art style. My favourite comic book was the W.I.T.C.H, and I really loved the drawing style and colours. With daily practice, I saw a huge improvement in my drawing skills. What pushed me even further to continue drawing was the support and praises I received from my loved ones.”

What inspires you most?

“My inspiration comes from artists who show their desire and passion through their craft. Knowing you have just created a great piece of artwork with your own hands is an incredible feeling to have. I want to be among the many great artists around the world, and feel more inspired day by day.”

How would you describe your work?

“I would describe my work as a world of emotions and interpretations. As artists, we want to project many different feelings and emotions throughout our craft, and hopefully reach the right audience. I want my work to speak for itself and captivate many minds. We live in a world where things can be grey, so to speak, but when hints of colours are permitted, they bring a sense of comfort to the heart.”

“Hopefully, one day, I will be someone else's great inspiration. I believe it is one of the ways the world can improve itself, by inspiring each other to become great people.”

Which artists influence you most?

“There are so many great artists who have captured my heart. Josh Hernandez, who goes by the name ‘mad.charcoal’ on Instagram, is one of the artists who influences me often. I have fallen under the charm of his work. It is so incredible how one can create such artistic masterpieces using charcoal as their main material. Each single piece of art demonstrates feelings that I never thought I could feel. This is how I want people to feel when they look at my work.”

What is your creative process like?

“First of all, I think of what I want to draw and decide what emotions I would like to implement. These are my fundamental steps when I want to create a piece of art. Since I am a very thorough and organized person, I organize my thoughts in my head, and create an image of how I want my drawing to look. I then search for references to reinforce my ideas, and hopefully find additional inspiration during my research. Since my art style is hyperrealism, I mainly search for facial and eye images, as they are my current interest.

I ask myself, ‘How can I make the piece unique? Is there anyone that has created this before?’ These types of questions allow me to allow for room in my mind for more creative thoughts. There are times when I set myself a challenge, and these questions force me to see how to push past my limit. The motto I have created is ‘there is no limit to creativity’.

I then decide on the mediums I will use. I work with Derwent pencils (H,HB, 2B,4B and 6B), a mono eraser, the classical cotton buds (which work magically), sakura white gel pen, white colouring pencil and cold-pressed paper. I'm a very traditional artist, but I am very open to using new tools to improve my art.”

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

“I personally believe that an artist's role in society is to show that art is another way of people expressing themselves. People express themselves not only through words, but also through drawing, painting, pottery, etc... Art is also a form of entertainment, bringing out the joy of seeing incredible artwork. Being an artist means you have a developed creative mind, which is a crucial skill needed, whether at work or in your day to day life.

Back in the day, if you were asked what job you have and you answered that you were an artist, the thought process of the person that asked would just think of it as a non-important job where all you do is drawing. But as time passed by, people have came to realise that it is more than that, they have also seen the amount of time and effort one puts in their craft. Art has become a very popular field where people find comfort. I believe that artists will be seen as more than just an artist, but also as an individual who takes part in the development of the world.”

Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?

“As surprising as it may be, I have not been to any exhibition. Yet! ‘What kind of artist does not attend exhibitions’ is a question I know you are asking yourself right now. However, I would really love to go to Tate Britain's exhibition, I have had a look online and it looks fantastic! Filled with so many stories!”

---

Instagram: @paartssion

Other: Twitter