Interview
Shaun Daniel Wane
Shaun is a contemporary painter based in Leeds, UK. He first fell in love with paint while working as a painting and decorating apprentice, soon after leaving secondary school. His love for art led him to study art and design at Blackburn College, and then fine art at Leeds Arts University.
Shaun has since enjoyed exhibiting his works in group shows. He creates still life paintings to explore the connection between the painter and his paint.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I had an interest in drawing from an early age. Some of the first drawings I remember doing were scenes from Star Trek movies, like The Undiscovered Country and First Contact. The end of my painting and decorating apprenticeship coincided with the 2008 financial crisis, and I realized that I needed to give something else a try, especially since being diagnosed with dyslexia as a young adult. So I studied fine art at Leeds Arts University.”
What inspires you most?
“I can be inspired by anything, from random little things out in the world, to great art by other contemporary artists. To paraphrase an old tutor, ‘All art comes from other art.’”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“When I was an industrial painter, I was never able to put myself into my paintings. Everything had to be completed to a decorative finish as directed. Being an artist, on the other hand, has allowed me to be true to myself in my paintings.”
“My artwork isn't about passing on a message to the viewer. It’s about my relationship with paint over the last 16 years; right from the time I first picked up a paintbrush.”
How would you describe your work?
“My paintings are best described as abstract figurative. Attention to realism is something I normally don’t adhere to. When I create my still life paintings, I consider the connection between my life as a decorator, and my life as an artist.”
Which artists influence you most?
"I’ve always been enamored with the art of George Shaw and Frida Kahlo. My art is also indirectly influenced by artists such as Jackson Pollock, Edward Hopper and John Bratby.”
What is your creative process like?
“I begin by gathering the subjects of the painting together, and then start to draw them from different angles. Then I decide which of the drawings I will use as the basis of my painting. I love being able to say that ‘I paint the paint that I use to paint with’.
I try to work on more than one painting at the same time, using the same colors in a way that will connect the paintings. The time I spend on each painting can vary greatly. Each piece is only finished when I stop wanting to pick up my paintbrush.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Art feeds and challenges the very soul of our society. How do I see that evolving? That is something I'm not sure I know. But I will be watching with great intrigue.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I have participated in a number of group exhibitions.
The next time my paintings will be viewable to the public, is during the months of February and March 2022, during the Color Exhibition to be held at the Fronteer Gallery in Sheffield, UK.”
Instagram: @shaun.d.wane_art
Other: Facebook
