'Arts and Culture Influence Everything We Do'
Artist Georgia Tunesi's Work Expresses the Intimate and Universal
Georgia Tunesi is a young English painter who graduated from The Arts University Bournemouth on the South Coast of England. Her mixed media paintings capture emotion, relationships and what it means to be human. They are infused with an intimacy that can almost feel as if you are intruding on very personal moments and that almost challenges you to maintain eye contact. I first met Georgia last year and was impressed with her creative vision and her sense of the commercial.
As she matures artistically, she recently took a break from social media because, she says “I wanted to get back my love of creating without having to constantly monitor and capture it on social media”. This statement goes so much to the heart of our debate about social media and how our lives (and art) are actually lived. If it’s not posted somewhere then did it happen? Is it real?
Georgia has also recently branched out into record cover designs for hotly tipped indie band Adomania who are playing a load of festivals this summer. Her images perfectly sum up the band’s musical aesthetic and melodic punk pop.
What Inspires Your Creative Ideas?
Having breaks and getting out in nature, seeing friends and letting my mind wander without the stress of coming up with something new is always the best thing for me. I need to get out of my studio and experience different things. Having a phone full of reference photos is so helpful for me as I don’t always know why something inspires me, so taking a photo that I can reference back to later on is something I find very useful
Why are arts and culture important to everyone?
Arts and culture influence everything we do, whether we are aware of it or not. I believe that they improve everyone’s lives and we need them to fully express ourselves. Art is everywhere, and the funding of the arts is essential for this reason. Without art or culture, there is no expression of self or individuality to give the things in our daily life a personal touch.
What advice would you give to a business to help them become more creative?
Collaboration with artists and hiring creative professionals can really help expand your business in a new and exciting way that companies may have not considered. Postpandemic, the push to help small businesses is larger than ever and having a creative flair that makes your business stand out can really help it to thrive.
Who is your creative hero?
There are far too many to name, but a few are Henrik Uldalen, Tracy Emin and Jenny Saville. I love how they handle paint and texture in their work. They are so expressive with their mark making and they are a constant source of inspiration.
Local creative heroes have been Emma Rowland from Pen Gallery in Poole, and the lovely people that run TOSH* over in Boscombe. They are bringing something really special to the creative community and have helped my creative practice hugely and always provide a wonderful support system.
(* TOSH is a creative community centre in an old schoolhouse that provides a place for local creatives to get together, talk and learn from each other. It was a lifesaver for me and many creatives both during and in the aftermath of the pandemic )
What piece of creative work are you most proud of?
My Sunflower series of paintings have been a big challenge and I am extremely proud of them. The paintings are exploring our connection with nature and how important it was to get us through these past few years stuck inside during the different lockdowns. The paintings really pushed my creative practice, pushing my painting technique, level of detail and precision. I think sometimes painting something outside of my comfort zone and something a little different really helps.
What are you working on right now?
My new body of work is exploring themes of climate change and the human experience. I always start with a concept and I create work around that idea. These pieces aim to explore the personal side of the matter on an individual’s level and provide a relatable visual on the thoughts and feelings going through our heads. Connection and relationships have always been an underlying theme in all of my work. Our lives and nature change with the current state of the world, and I aim to express this through paint.
You can enjoy Georgia’s work at
https://www.georgiatunesi.co.uk/
Follow her on Instagram @georgia.tunesi