8 Mar 2011

Artist 76: Monique Jivram








Straight from the London borough of Chiswick its the irrepressible Monique Jivram, Aka My Mum's a Hippie. Monique takes the unique and labour intensive approach of mixing embroidery with illustration creating a complex blended style that has more than one or two threads running through it! She has a truly original way of working using mnemonics and other methods to help her construct her complex work. She maintains an unswerving attention to detail re-enforced by her complex style and intricate needlework. Its a refreshing break from the standard and her work is definitely substantial and developed. Her style is easily transferable to and form of visual communication as it has an intensity that is both exciting and intoxicating. She can maintain your gaze and continually reward you with more. It's a hard job maintaining such an intense style and methodology, but I really hope she continues expanding on her style and bringing in more of her ink work. Truly a pleasure to feature its Monique Jivram! (My Mum's a Hippy)


Who are you:
My name is Monique Jivram, I work under the artist name my mums a hippie. My first art fair was in Chiswick ,London where I was asked for my artist name, my real name-monique Jivram- is a bit difficult to spell so I wanted to find something that represented me. I had just finished interning for the artist Laura Lees who teased me about my mum being a hippie .I found this funny and it gave me the idea to work under the artist name my mums a hippie. Its very surprising how many people approach me telling me that their mums a hippie too!
What do you do:
I’m an illustrator who mixes ink drawings with embroidery. I guess some of my work could be described as textile art and illustration. Its very original, colourful and intricate.

How did you start:
As far as I can remember I have always drawn and made creative things, I was really lucky to go to Winchester School of art and learn how to be a professional artist and evaluate my work but it was really the artist Laura Lees who I worked for after I graduated who I owe a lot of thanks too. Laura made me see being an artist was a plausible and realistic dream.


A Personal statement about you or your work:
British-Colombian embroidery illustrator and artist Monique Jivram, aka My Mums a Hippie, creates work that is vibrant, lively and heavily influenced by her Latin American ancestry. Her fascination with colour, shape, intricacy and black line is evident in all her pieces. The work is highly labour intensive, layering ink drawings and embroidery. It is has been described as fresh, striking and contemporary. My mums a hippie, dedicates most of her time to working on a mix of hand and machine embroidery and vibrant ink drawings. She creates hundreds of punchy illustrations as a starting point then uses a computer or sewing machine to refine each piece. Her work gains inspiration from overheard conversations. She relies heavily on the concept of schemas and mnemonics beginning each piece by mapping out images that support and develop her starting text. My Mums a Hippie was born and currently lives in London. Her mum continues to be a hippie.

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