Holly Halkes (b.1993) is a British artist living and working in London, UK. Her paintings capture the spirit of carnivalesque celebration, depicting uninhibited interaction and the breaking down of barriers. Blending reality and fantasy, her work explores eccentric human behaviour shaped by contemporary living in the 21st century. With a focus on humour, Halkes examines the relationship between self-identity and surroundings, employing lively paint application and repetition of visual symbols to evoke moments of fun and laughter. Beneath the surface, her paintings touch upon internal and external conflicts, revealing vulnerability and anxiety.

Can you tell us about your journey as an artist and what initially drew you to painting?

Prior to painting my background was in fashion. I’ve always been interested in storytelling and knew I wanted to do work with a more immediate creative outlet for myself. This took me to study at City and Guilds of London Art School where I graduated in 2022. I was fortunate to have such interesting and diverse tutors, but the cherry on top was being mentored by my great friend and exceptional artist, Oli Epp. Having a friend that wanted me to succeed and who believed in me pushed me forward into taking new risks and helped me to find my voice. It was great selling out my degree show as it propelled my motivation even more to find a studio and make painting a full-time reality, which is where I’m at now.  

Your paintings capture the spirit of carnivalesque celebration and uninhibited interaction. What inspired you to explore these themes in your work?

My work is always evolving into new spaces, but I’m interested in the carnivalesque for its colourful representation of life in all its forms. The upside-down nature of something not being quite as it seems is interesting to me, a feeling or mood we can’t quite grasp but instead can allude too.

How do you blend reality and fantasy in your paintings, and what do you hope to convey through this combination?

I work from real emotions and experiences around me. It doesn’t have to just come from me but I’m curious about how humans work and the habits we collect. Obsession, chaos, pain, love, addiction … I could go on. My whole approach is blending this initial feeling state to something otherworldly, a landscape that I want to find curious. I guess I’m portraying an emotional state of being but I’m also trying to tap into something more surreal, uncanny perhaps.  Sometimes it feels like I’m always searching for something, maybe that comes across in the work. 

Humour is a significant aspect of your art. How do you balance humour with the underlying themes of vulnerability and anxiety in your work?

I think it’s important to have moments of light relief in my work. I see humour in different forms, sometimes it can be the title that highlights something funny in the painting, rather than the painting narrative itself. Or it can be when you see something unexpected in the paintings that then causes laughter. I’ve always been interested in Tala Madani’s use of humour, she uses it as an entry point into difficult topics. I remember once reading that she laughs when she paints. So really what I’m trying to say is what you give to the work you get out of it.

Can you discuss your process for developing the lively paint application and the repetition of visual symbols in your pieces?

My process is to paint with energy. To give the painting life by working energetically with my body and movement. For me, painting in the right frame of mind is crucial. I like to work fast but I’ve defiantly become more thoughtful in my approach in laying down a mark on the canvas. The use of symbols comes back to narrative, the build-up of using the same symbol can become intense and powerful, even claustrophobic, which I like. 

Your work examines the relationship between self-identity and surroundings. How do contemporary living and societal norms influence your art?

There are many thematic lenses to this. By exploring identity and self-perception you can see how the world we live in is full of anxiety in the pursuit of perfection and the impact of the digital culture on our image. This leads into the obsession with consumerism, which then brings up the pervasive role of technology in daily life which in turn affects human interaction. It’s all linked, and I guess then I’m critiquing contemporary society and how I see it.

What advice would you give to emerging artists who are trying to find their own voice and navigate the art world?

As an emerging artist myself, the most important thing for me is to work hard and dedicate myself to my practise. I’d also say takes risks, go and see art in real time, visit exhibitions, talk to fellow artists and above all keep working on the painting, pushing it to the next level and believing that something is right around the corner!