Details
| First Name | Kirralee |
| Last Name | Fisher |
| Username | kirraleefisher |
| Website | |
| Region | Edinburgh & The Lothians |
| Disciplines | Drawing, Illustration, Painting |
| Themes | Botanical, Environment, Figurative, Landscape, Narratives |
Statement
| Statement | My work investigates how to turn everyday elements into the fantastical. I am interested in storytelling and like to imagine daydreams that people or characters may have to dispel the ordinariness or stresses of everyday life. Where possible and relevant, I like to inject a sense of humour into my work. I am a big fan of wildlife. I am fascinated by their ability to inspire, give a comforting presence and astonish with the incredible variation in their forms. They provide another dimension as I watch their antics and interaction with each other, with people and with the built and natural environments. I also have ecological and philosophical concerns regarding wildlife. In particular, why do we glorify some animals and denigrate others as pests and scavengers? If there is an imbalance in biodiversity, resulting in “pests”, should we look more closely at our own role in this occurrence? This is why wildlife, in particular, the unglorified urban animal or insect is often the key motif in my work. Aesthetically, my illustrations and paintings are inspired by the historic and contemporary art practice of Surrealism, together with Western Medieval art traditions, including egg tempera, bestiaries and the wonderful and strange sense of humour. More recently, I have been inspired by the possibilities that both spraypaint, watercolour and digital art have to offer and I have used these mediums for some my latest work. |
Biography
| Biography | Born and bred in rural Western Australia, I grew up with a love of wide open spaces, freedom to roam and an appreciation for both domestic and wild creatures. I wasn’t naturally drawn to painting and drawing, except I remember desperately wanting to always be at the finger painting table at kindergarten. I also adored the paint books where you painted water on a picture and it suddenly burst to life with different colours. I loved comic books, including Asterix & Obelix and Garfield and looked forward to watching cartoons such as He-Man, She-Ra, Transformers and Looney Tunes. One of my sisters suggested I study art in high school. I enjoyed it greatly and liked to draw castles and dragons with ink pens while listening to Michael Nyman’s soundtrack album of The Piano. At the end of high school, I thought about applying to study graphic design, but not really sure what I wanted in my life, I took some time off before studying finance at university. Fast forward to my mid-twenties, art drew me back again and I signed up to part-time classes. Naturally drawn to castles, I undertook full time art studies in Edinburgh, Scotland. I completed a Foundation Course at The Leith School of Art. This was followed by a Degree in Painting at the Edinburgh College of Art. During these years I developed an attraction to narratives, making up my own scenes with different elements, and began to use egg tempera and spray painting, among other mediums, to help me express my ideas. I continue to develop narratives and use these mediums in my work. |