Rebekah (REBEKAHBCREATIVE), is a fashion and beauty video director by day and a painter of beautiful people by night. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Rebekah use oil and spay praints to create abstract portraiture inspired by the street art in her home city. Motivated by visually interpreting the inner workings of a person’s mind, their dreams, experiences and ambitions, her work lends itself to other worldly, surreal imagery driven by stunning concepts.
1) Which art movement do you consider most influential on your practice?
During my childhood spent in Chicago in the 90’s, the graffiti movement that had started in New York had firmly migrated to my family neighborhood trains and buildings. I remember seeing one of the artists spraying away and to my surprise he was just a kid! 13 at the most! It felt like a side of art I could wrap my own hand around. As my obsession grew, the graffiti movement grew into the street art movement and more realism and portraits started finding its way on the walls and I remember being really proud of living in a city of artists.
2) Where do you go and when to make your best art?
The materials I use lend itself to outside painting since the fumes can get pretty intense! But outside of that, I don't particularly have a preference - I can make art anywhere as long as there's good music playing and no one else around.
3) How do you describe your 'creative process'?
I've been drawing and painting women for as long as I can remember. If I doodle, you can bet that it will be a doodle of a woman's eye, with luxurious lashes and detail in the iris. So I guess my creative process has been one long continuous obsession with the beauty of women. And every painting I've ever done has been a branch from that firmly rooted muse. Most individual paintings begin with an experience with a woman who affected my life - positively or negatively I might add, and that sets off a chain reaction where I feel I must paint something that reflects her essence. ‘Patience’ for example is a woman from my church who prayed for me. ‘Gia’ Is my big sister who raised me. ‘Stella’ Is a girl who made me feel really small in highschool. After having these catalytic experiences it's just about experimenting with color to depict skin tones and hair and eye color that yes, visually communicate how they look from a natural perspective but also the colors I felt I saw in my experiences with them.
4) Which artist, living or deceased, is the greatest inspiration to you?
Francois Neilly taught me how to use complex color combinations to depict flesh and convey emotions.
5) If you weren't an artist, what would you do?
I'd either be a therapist or a social worker with emphasis on supporting women - I think my fascination with the human condition would translate.
6) What do you listen to for inspiration?
Gospel music for sure. Ultimately all this interest in art, women, and humans is rooted in my relationship with the creator, who is afterall the ultimate artist. No matter how beautiful human art is, it's only ever a reflection of the original creation and I like to remember that when I'm painting. It keeps the process pure and ego free.
7) If you could own one artwork, and money was no object, which piece would you acquire?
Zhuang Hong-yi’s work is truly amazing. I love how it looks different from every angle and its worlds away from the art I make so if I had the money one of his paintings would go straight in my living room.
8) If your dream museum or collection owner came calling, which would it be?
Please dont judge me when I say Rihanna! I love her taste and I secretly wholeheartedly believe she’ll see my art one day and love it and we’ll become best friends.
9) What is your key piece of advice for artists embarking on a fine art or creative degree today?
Document your process and don't be afraid of social media. Think of it as a visual journal at worst and a portfolio at best.
10) What is your favourite book of all time (fiction or non fiction)?
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. A senior demon attempts to educate a junior demon in the art of keeping a human away from the love of God - epic.
11) If you could hang or place your artwork in one non-traditional art setting, where would that be?
I don't know if this is non-traditional but in the offices of a domestic violence social office, or a women's health clinic. If my art doesn't make a woman think about how their complexities are actually the nucleus of how exceptional they are then I have failed. My art is really a love letter to all women.
12) What was the biggest lesson your university course or time studying taught you?
There's no such thing as making the same piece of art too many times. Make every iteration of the same image, try every single process, combine mediums that don't make sense together and do it again.
13) And finally, if we were to fast forward 10 years, where would we find you?
Alongside painting, I also direct commercials and music videos as another outlet of my love for human stories. So in 10 years I'd love to be directing movies and continuing to sell my paintings as my contribution to art.
Learn more about Rebekah and discover her collection of paintings
