We recently caught up with BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Development alumna Anna Makri to talk about the inspiration behind her recent exhibition ‘KSENOI’ and her journey to becoming a freelance artist, since graduating in 2018.
Hi Anna, great to catch up with you. Can you tell us about your journey since graduating from LCF?
The first two years after graduating from LCF in 2018 I was working for a sportswear brand full-time, which overlapped with Covid times and that is when I realised I wanted something more out of my career. I was furloughed for 4 months, and I started painting again, stitching tote bags out of fabric scraps, making up-cycled jewellery out of what I had in my drawer, and being creative for the sake of the art.
I had time to think of what I wanted to do as an artist. My free time allowed me to network more with people and find new creative platforms to be in.
Even though I came to the UK to study fashion I have a background in fine art and craft making with different materials and I was always passionate about challenging myself creatively and collaborating with different fellow artists. I decided to quit my job with nothing else lined up - a big risk - but one that also made me available and more open to different types of work. Since then, I have worked on a freelance basis with Craig Green, T LABEL, and Charles Jeffrey Loverboy as well as emerging independent artists such as Kirubel Belay whose work has been featured in Vogue Italia, Akti Konstantinou whose work is on GiF and set designer David Curtis-Ring.I honestly believe existing in so many fashion weeks, editorials, fittings, film sets, commercial campaigns, have helped me shape my identity as a multi-disciplinary artist, I gained a lot from my experience in the fashion industry which I am now applying in the art world and my events. Today I have managed to merge all my multi-faceted artistic paths and pursue an independent practice as a painter, set designer, art director, and most recently as an art curator with the exhibition ‘KSENOI.’
That’s quite a journey. What support did you receive from Graduate Futures during your time at LCF? I think I unfortunately didn’t realise the extent of the support I could have had whilst being in university, however, I use my perks as an LCF graduate much more now than when I was a student. I have used the library many times for my research, study time, and brainstorming. The team at Graduate Futures has been very responsive and supportive from the first time I mentioned the exhibition to them and asked for their promotional support through their online platforms.
It’s an amazing perk to have. It all feels incredibly beautiful to receive that even if my journey at LCF has finished.
Congratulations on the success of your recent exhibition ‘KSENOI.’ Can you tell us about the themes and inspiration behind the exhibition? Thank you so much, I truly appreciate it, it has been in the works since January 2023, so it means a lot to me to hear people admiring it and liking it. ‘KSENOI’ is a group exhibition that presents new works by seven Greek immigrant female artists based on their visual representation of identity, heritage, and the emotional journey of immigration through knots.
We explored the multiple facets of the knot as a strong bond, a tie to your country and heritage, but also as a confusion, a tight mess of who you are or where you belong, something all of us have experienced as immigrants. All of us had that mutual question of belonging and confused identity and I wanted to give the artists a voice and an opportunity to showcase their creativity and practice in a safe and familiar environment. The word KSENOI in Greek means foreigner. I faced a lot of difficulties as a foreigner when I first came here, and it has undoubtedly impacted me as a person and an artist, but also is a part of me that still lives inside of me, so I knew others felt the same way.
This was an independent exhibition with the main aim being to give a voice to emerging artists and a platform for them to speak on social issues of immigration and share their experience of what it means to be a ‘foreigner.'
Over 250 people attended the opening night, which was truly moving, but the most beautiful thing except for creating a social platform through art was the people who came up to me (whom I didn’t know personally) in tears and told me that they were feeling exactly the same way about immigration and leaving their country but thought they were alone, or how they were thinking of their mom during the exhibition, or how they thought they were overthinking this but actually their emotions are valid.
This exhibition did not seek to give clear answers to the posed questions, but rather an emotional and abstract conversation and exploration of these issues.
Absolutely. The themes of belonging and identity resonate, and they also feel very timely. Moving on to your work as a multidisciplinary freelance artist and designer, how do you strike the right balance when working on different projects? It is personal to each artist because there is no one right recipe, we all work in different ways, but for me, it’s all about separating and organizing. I personally have a critical path for each project and try to not be overambitious of my time and allocate specific times of when I will do what. At the same time, it is hard to balance things alone, so I always seek for help from my partner and my best friend, it is super important to have a support circle that you can count on.
Giving feedback to yourself after each project is super useful to know what you can do better next time. You live and learn and next time you are always more prepared.
Can you tell us about any projects on which you are currently working? My main goal now is to bring the exhibition ‘KSENOI’ in Greece next year, back to the roots, to open the conversation of immigration and its implications there as well and show people what the kids that ‘left their country’ have been up to now. Sometimes when you leave your country it is seen as a betrayal, and a ‘luxury’ or something so amazing that everyday problems don’t ‘touch’ you, because you live somewhere else. This is exactly why we need to talk about it more and discuss all its different perspectives; the best way I know how to do this is through my art.Besides that, we are on Instagram as ksenoi. projects which I am now using as a creative platform for bringing people from different countries together and interacting through different mediums of art and creating communities. There is an event in the works for February or March, and another one for July, in which I will be collaborating with different artists and inviting the audience in more interactive experiences through drawing and poetry.
Sounds exciting! Finally, what key advice would you give to students who are embarking on their own freelance journey?
Honestly, my main advice is that the answer is always yes, you can do it. There is no limitation to your capabilities, you determine what you can and cannot do. It has its challenging times, especially in the beginning, but if you stay true to yourself and your identity as an artist it is so worth it. Research, experiment, create, collaborate, talk about it, stay open to the possibilities, and try things, The worst thing that can happen is that it does not work out and then you move on to the next one.
I think the most important thing for me is team spirit, networking with your fellow students, emerging artists, independent ones, staying connected with people from different jobs, showing up at their shows or launches, creating your own little community of artists, and supporting each other. It doesn’t always have to be about competition.
That’s a perfect way to end. I couldn’t agree more. Thanks, Anna, for your time. We wish you all the best for the future. To stay connected with Anna, you can subscribe to her website.