“Don’t be afraid of making lots of mistakes because the sooner you get over it the sooner you’ll enjoy the process more!”

Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences

Over the last few years, my work has been an ongoing practice of experimentation using my ideas of illustrating music and sound. This has involved playing around with moving image, digital illustrations and most recently large-scale ink work. In my final year, my fondness of jazz music became a great influence on my motivation to develop my skills. Through embracing mistakes, using personal reflection to compliment the images and maintaining a visual diary, I have been able to navigate a new kind of freeness in my practice which I hope to develop after leaving University.

How have you found your course and what made you choose it?

Studying Illustration in Brighton has felt like a unique experience. As time has gone on, I have learnt that the course here is like no other. It became clear that the course gave space for me to totally reimagine what I thought “Illustration” was and what I could make of it.

Was the location of your course in Brighton more important than you thought it would be?

The location was important for me during the course as it provided easy access to the other departments when I needed them. Being so central in Brighton, meant I could easily get to the library for books when gathering research and writing essays, as well as getting on a bus when I needed to use the large scanners in the Architecture department. Also, photographic documentation became a vital part to my drawing practice and for the briefs we were set, so being so close to the sea and town was useful in this way.

What are your plans after graduation?

My plan after graduation is to stay in Brighton for a little longer to experience it as a non-student and continue to grow my portfolio. In the near future, I hope to be able to develop my skills in a new city or country as this really motivates me and will hopefully give me opportunity to collaborate with other artists around the world.

If I could give my 16 year old self advice about going to University

I would say, don’t be afraid of making lots of mistakes because the sooner you get over it the sooner you’ll enjoy the process more!

Follow Maia on Instagram: @maiasmusings @stan.publication

Website: maiaroman.myportfolio.com

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