In conversation with Ezra Konvitz

We’re very excited to have tomorrow’s workshop lead by Ezra Konvitz of ArtStack! Ezra Konvitz is the Co-Founder of ArtStack, the social platform for art. ArtStack is a new way to discover, share and remember art. The community includes leading artists, curators, museum directors, collectors, gallerists and art enthusiasts in 175+ countries.  

He previously worked at the Serpentine Gallery and at Bain and Company, the strategy consultancy. Ezra holds an MPhil on the social development of avant-garde movements and an undergraduate degree from Cambridge University, as well as an MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art, where he studied postmodernism in France. 

Ezra, can you tell us a bit more about you and your background?  

I am one of the co-founders of ArtStack, the social platform for art. ArtStack makes it easy to share and discover art - and to remember works you love. 

I've always been passionate about art and people, which is really what ArtStack is about. 

I have a master’s degree in history of art, previously worked at the Serpentine Gallery and then decided to create ArtStack with old friends who were working in art and technology and equally passionate about bringing art online.

Can you tell us a bit more about ArtStack and your vision for it?

ArtStack is a new way to discover, share and remember art.

The community includes leading artists, curators, museum directors, collectors, gallerists and art enthusiasts in 175+ countries. 

We believe that the best way to discover art is through people. This is nothing new - after all, people have always showed works they love in their homes and told friends to check out the artists they like. We've taken this online and created a free platform where artists, art professionals and art lovers can grow and engage their audience. 

We're dedicated to being the best place for artists to share their work and inspirations in a community that's passionate about discovering art.

Where do you see ArtStack develop in the next five years?

We're seeing incredible growth on ArtStack, and more and more people are also using it to share and browse works directly from their phones - our iPhone app is popular around the world, so that's a focus. We've launched in English, Spanish and Chinese and are working on more languages. It's very exciting seeing people sharing works from Beijing, Sao Paulo and Abu Dhabi - and this global trend will only become stronger.

A lot of people will be confused about the difference with Pinterest. Can you clearly give us the differences and advantages of ArtStack?

ArtStack and Pinterest differ in some key ways - we developed ArtStack for artists and the art community, so all the art on ArtStack is organised and everything is classified in categories – so you can see all the work by an artist or from a gallery or collection, no matter who added it, and find new works by the artist when they are added. As a result, it's both a resource for artists and a powerful research tool, with works by over 25,000 artists.

We are devoted to seeing and engaging with art in the best way online, so ArtStack’s layout has been designed for an art-specific audience - with key functionality and detailed information for people who are passionate about art. It’s a very clean design, with large images and the works that are posted are only art – and some of the most interesting people who work in the field are using ArtStack to share their work.

ArtStack is also organised as a searchable archive to facilitate access to the art people are looking for - and make it easy to discover artists similar to the ones they already love through people who are passionate about the work. It’s really interesting to see what other artworks people like who also like a particular artist – or to see all the works that have been added from a particular year or country.

How did you come across Debut Contemporary and what do you think of our business ethos?

I first heard about Debut through friends and have heard terrific things. Debut Contemporary is an innovative, and much needed, resource for artists.

Where do you see the similarities between Debut and ArtStack?

ArtStack and Debut both empower artists and enable them to best reach and engage more people. We believe that artists should have a platform and tools to access their audience and also to be discovered - it's really exciting to be able to support artists around the world in their careers!

And on a more personal level…

Who are you own favourite artists?

Too many! Robert Frank, Wassily Kandinsky, Sterling Ruby... among others!

What is the best exhibition you’ve seen in the last year?

Bronze, at the Royal Academy and Jonas Mekas at the Serpentine Gallery were both terrific. I'm a huge fan of William Klein, so I really enjoyed seeing his work at Tate Modern this year.

Is there a book you would recommend to us?

USA, by John Dos Passos. 

Do you have an interesting fact for us?

A few I've learned though ArtStack: there's a strong art community in the Arctic Circle in Norway; Man Ray used his own erotic images (with Kiki de Montparnasse) to help finance a Surrealist poetry magazine in 1929; and Delacroix considered Victor Hugo the most talented painter of their generation.

http://theartstack.com/

 @theArtStack

Spotlight Artist: Rebecca Newnham

Rebecca Newnham works predominately as a sculptor. The sculptures are recognisable: the structures are fluid, organic and undulating. Forms are influenced by the natural world, by science, by an understanding of materials gained from her hands on approach. As the sculpture is driven by the natural language of form, it sits well in a landscape and is often monumental. Other smaller works punctuate indoor spaces, playing with light on their reflective surfaces. The organic curves and lines are strong and compliment architecture, garden design, the natural landscape. Installations are sometimes site specific.  They can be static or kinetic, some float or suspend or rotate.

Recently, Rebecca Newnham made it onto the BBC with the installation of her WAVE sculpture in Dorset, and her sculptures are being commissioned as far away as Las Vegas. We talk to her about her art and recent projects:

Like Jo Taylor last week, you’re showing at Fresh Air 2013, congratulations!

Yes, Fresh Air 2013 is a biennial, vibrant  show respected by artists and collectors. Selected artists propose sculpture and performance artists pop up at the opening, which give the show an extra dimension that I particularly enjoy.

How did you get involved with Fresh Air? 

You are either invited or can apply to Ana Bianchi, the curator. The emphasis is on supporting the arts and the standard is high, so they are good to work with.

You’ve also been commissioned by a big casino in Las Vegas, how did that work? 

The architects emailed me after seeing images of my work when Googling 'sculpture'! We emailed and had conference calls. I sent glass samples and images of models of the proposed 3.5 meter tall pair of DANCERS sculptures. I work with a brilliant structural engineer, Packman Lucas, who advised me that each sculpture needed to be able to tolerate a rugby player who might, in high spirits, shin up the sculptures, so the metal work was significant. The sculpture was packed by a local packer and their shipper collected. There was a big hold up in US Customs as the DANCERS were x-rayed rather a lot for some reason, I'd love to see the x-ray photos, but eventually they were delivered and installed a few days ago. They are really pleased and have endorsed the project.

Were you there for the installation? 

No. We have seen snaps of the sculptures in place, and are waiting for the final photos to be taken when everything is finished around them. Usually the sculpture is planned to be the last to go in place in a public space, but there is always a bit of snagging too.

What are your future ambitions for your artistic practice?   

I aim to find the right galleries and art specifiers to work with in different parts of the world. I love both making speculative sculpture and working on site specific installations. Floating sculpture is an area in which I'd like to become established, there is so much to achieve here. In the short term I want to make sculpture about antlers, (a 3-4 meter tall,red, pair of sentinels for a grand home or park) and realise some skeletal floating lily pads installation ideas. I am both a sculptor and a designer, the two influence and inspire each other, and I am working on a self-initiated project to use crushed glass bottles, fused and fire polished in a kiln, to create editions of lights, bowls and mirror frames. We are using the same crushed glass as an aggregate in a white concrete, making a sparkling glassy material which I call Pozzolane. 

What made you decide to apply for Debut Contemporary and how are you experiencing it so far? 

I feel like I'm at an exciting juncture in my career and need support to grow. The Debut team are without exception approachable, knowledgeable and have been really helpful.   

Who and what are you inspired by in your art? 

I have always been interested in scientists and their explanations of the natural world. Until recently I focused upon the infinite variety and evolutionary stories of botanical forms. I love geometry, number patterns and finding commonality. Increasingly now I observe the natural world of the beach in all its awesome detail: the ripples left by the sea in the sand, the tides themselves, the sand grains, the forms of seaweed, the shells, birds, stones. I also practice yoga so consider mindfulness.

Who are your favourite artists yourself?  

Hepworth (such an amazing woman and artist), Moore (for his organic form), Kapoor (everything except the Olympic sculpture!), Gormley (his iconic Angel), Hetherwick (we share a love for materials based design), Paolozzi (a great man and prolific, brilliant artist), Peter Randall-Page (we share a love of numbers) and Galia Amsel (my friend on a parallel 'glass' path.)

Do you have an interesting fact for us? 

My Great Great Grandfather, Franz, brought copper wheel glass engraving to England from Bohemia. The family story describes how customs were suspicious of the machine and he had to dismantle and rebuild it and demonstrate what it was for. Franz settled near the heart of the glass industry in Stourbridge, where I was born. We both have glass work in Broadfield House Glass Museum.

http://www.rebeccanewnham.co.uk/

 Rebecca Newnham

 @RebeccaNewnham

Spotlight Artist: Jo Taylor

Jo Taylor’s unique ceramic sculptures celebrate the ornamental; each complex structure is made from a collection of individually hand formed or wheel thrown pieces. Her style developed from observation of the decorative on a grand scale, in features such as ornate plasterwork ceilings, wrought iron gates and carved stone.

This year, Jo will be showing at Fresh Air, and we talk her about this and much more:

We heard you’re showing at Fresh Air 2013, can you tell us a bit more about that event?

It’s a large, prestigious outdoor sculpture show in beautiful private gardens at Quenington, near Cirencester, in the Cotswolds. It runs every 2 years and shows a wide range of sculpture pieces in different media, includes new and established artists and a number of installation works. The show runs from Sunday June 16th until Sunday July 7th 2013 - for more info see www.freshair2013.com

How did you get involved with Fresh Air?

Whilst studying for my MA in 2011 I applied to the show to see how my new work would be received - it was a great experience to be part of such a well-established show & I was delighted that my piece sold. The buyers sent me a lovely card with a photo to show me how beautiful it looked in their garden!

For the 2013 show the curators asked artists if they wanted to propose an installation - I immediately thought of the swimming pool as a location for my porcelain work and submitted some drawings. After a discussion with the curators and doing a few tests I spent some time creating the 3 piece installation - one sculpture piece sits on the diving board, a further two are located underwater - the piece is called "Submergence".

Your pieces look complex and difficult to create; can you give us a little insight in the process?

I used to make wheel thrown tableware; jugs, mugs, bowls and so on. I still use the wheel in my creative process, but much more as a drawing tool, using speed to make interesting marks in the clay. I also make pieces just using my hands, where the fingers create deep grooves. When all the pieces have dried enough to handle I join them together to create the finished form, before firing to a high temperature so they are frost proof.

What are your future ambitions for your artistic practice?

I have recently made another installation piece, as part of a group show for Bath Abbey in June. This one sits on an altar and is called "The Integrate" and has many small pieces moving towards a bigger piece, which looks towards the light. I have been excited by the process of making installations for specific locations, in particular the aesthetic and technical challenges. I will be looking for more opportunities in this area, as well as considering a residency to spend some time developing new ideas.

What made you decide to apply for Debut Contemporary and how are you experiencing it so far?

I applied to Debut to help me move forward; I am naturally proactive but needed some guidance to help me to focus. It was also a useful way for me to gain some insight into the business side of contemporary art from a London and global perspective. 

I have found the lectures to be of a high quality, and enjoy having a base in London where clients can see my work in the flesh. The team are very supportive and positive which really helps as it can be isolating working alone. It has been good to meet artists from other disciplines and find out about their practice - it was great to meet Rebecca Newnham, as she is also showing at Fresh Air.

Who and what are you inspired by in your art?

Coming from a studio pottery background, I enjoyed learning about sculpture during my MA & was hugely inspired by a retired professor of sculpture, Michael Pennie, whom I shared the studio with. He helped me to appreciate many aspects of sculpture such as form, surface, location - we had many conversations about plinths!

My pieces are specifically influenced by decorative works in architecture - such as ornamental plasterwork ceilings, wrought iron gates and carved stone facades. I enjoy the flourish, the energy, the depth of relief and how this works with light and shade, and feed these notions into my practice.

Who are your favourite artists yourself?

I am a huge fan of Grayson Perry, for what he has to say as much as his work, also that he brought clay to the Turner prize. 

I was hugely impressed by the architecture of Gaudi during my first trip to Barcelona last year. 

Do you have an interesting fact for us? 

The clay used in my sculptures also gets used in toothpaste, pills and cosmetics!

 www.jotaylorceramics.com

Call For Artists

Maria Slovakova at Cotton Cafe

Maria Slovakova works in Soho twice a week, and Cotton Cafe is where she gets her decaf latte’s and hot chocolates. Some time ago this place got flooded and since then the wall stood empty. Nice, cleanly repainted and very yellow, but empty. Maria can’t cope much with empty walls, and offered the people to brighten the place up with her art. They put them up as early as the next day, making for a little art show to enjoy while eating your jacket potato and home made cake. See the photos for a little taster:

 

Creative Entrepeneurship: Peter Tullin

Last night at Shoreditch House as part of a bi-monthly Creative Entrepreneurship talk series in collaboration with Debut Contemporary, our Co-Founder Samir Ceric, was in conversation with Peter Tullin, a cultural entrepreneur and Co-Founder of CultureLabel.com – a curated eCommerce selling affordable gifts and art from over 750 leading culture institutions. Peter’s partners include the V&A, Tate and the British Museum and the site also features artists including Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin. Peter took us through the inspiration behind the company, step to finding investment, their partners and collaborators tackling expansion plans and exit strategies. The audience included plenty of budding entrepreneurs. Lounging in Shoreditch House's  super comfy velvet sofas with a drink and a room decked with a SMEG fridge (of course), we were impressed with their great questions about maintaing control of the business, online trends, shares and market analysis.

Find our more about Culture Label: www.culturelabel.com

Find out more about Samir Ceric & Debut Contemporary: http://www.fadwebsite.com/2013/03/18/mark-westall-interview-samir-ceric-founder-and-ceo-debut-contemporary/

Check out a sound bite from the previous Creative Entrepreneurship talk with Kira Heur of Bib & Sola on Sound Cloud: https://soundcloud.com/houseseven/the-creative-entrepreneur

Watch this space for the next in the series.

** SPECIAL OFFER: Soho House is offering 3 for 2 tickets to The Art Dinner on 27th March. Ticket discount on enquiry. Contact sophia@debutcontemporary.com. For more info visit: http://www.debutcontemporary.com/art-dinner/

Junko O'Neill: Fragments of Time

Junko O'Neill - Dissolved

Have you ever experienced being drawn into the space within a painting and sensing the transient atmosphere that the work conveys?

Japanese Debut artist Junko O’Neill presents a thought-provoking and comprehensive body of work with her first solo exhibition in London, which will open on 19 March.

The work of her figurative and abstract paintings as well as 3D pieces are all inspired by the space/time concept of ‘Ma’, which is unique to Japanese culture. The concept considers space as fundamentally void: only space itself is deemed to be eternal and everything that fills the space is of a transient nature. O’Neill also sources ideas for her works from Japanese literature such as Haruki Murakami’s novels. She finds these novels and her work share the same sense of time passing within the space.

See the full details below:

Junko O’Neill: Fragments of Time

A solo exhibition of art

Inspired by the Japanese space / time concept “Ma”

Date: 19-24 March 2013

Venue: GV Art Gallery, 49 Chiltern Street, London W1U6LY

 Private View 20 March 6.30 – 9.30, RSVP required

The exhibition is complemented by a series of diverse public programme events to take place at the gallery

21 March 2013 7- 9.30 PM Panel Discussion around the concept ‘Ma’ in different art forms & every day life, and music interlude by Robin Thompson from the Okeanos Ensemble

23 March 2013 

11.30 AM  - 1 PM Walk-in origami folding for families

2.30 – 4 PM Introduction to Calligraphy, a workshop for adults, with Sachiko Mason, £5

Artist talk by Junko O’Neill 22 March 2013 4.30 PM / 24 March 2013 2 PM  

Admission to the exhibition and events is FREE, except for the  calligraphy workshop

More details here. 

In conversation with Liz Gee

Tomorrow The Lecture Club will host their first event at Debut Contemporary, where our director Samir Ceric will speak about art and finance in the global market. We met up with Lecture Club initiator Liz Gee, to learn more about this initiative:

1) How was the Lecture Club born?

I conceived the idea about year ago and sounded out the idea with potential speakers. Response was very encouraging. This gave me the confidence and determination to go on.

The company's objective is to present authoritative speakers, providing their unique insight into their respective fields, talking on relevant and topical issues and subjects, that will interest and appeal to the audience.

2) What is your background?

I am an outgoing senior manager with over 30 years of broad based experience in the retail, publishing and beauty sectors and with strong expertise in new business development. Design, marketing and a proven ability in communication led me to start The Lecture Club. My strategy when I owned the Children’s Book Centre was to market the business by hosting a wide variety of events. I shall apply the same principles to The Lecture Club.

I bought the Children’s Book Centre from the Baker publishing family and over seventeen years have developed it into a children’s destination. My strategy was to work with the publishing trade and encourage young readers and young consumers alike. I marketed the business by having reading events hosted by the nation’s top authors and illustrators and celebrities. I developed the customer base by regularly introducing new product and by marketing innovation. I realised after a year or so that the net book agreement, a mechanism for controlling the price of books, would go. Consequently I brought in a full range of well-known branded toys followed by CD’s, stationery and much more. I sourced the world fairs for innovative product. I built up sales to over £1m. In 2005 I decided to expand to two shops and enter the children’s clothing market based around Uttam Kids, a wonderful collection I sourced from Nepal and sold in my first shop. Close to the original shop, the strategy in the second shop was to exploit the local customer base I had built up. I decided late in 2006 to bring the two businesses together and combine the best of the products I sold. That included books, clothes, gifts and toys. I decided on this strategy because of increasing fixed costs of operating retail sites in central London.

3) What are the lectures about?

The objective of The Lecture Club is an organisation, where people with multiple interests and open minds can listen to and learn from, experienced and authoritative speakers from various walks of life who provide their unique insight into their respective fields. The topics we cover and concentrate on, are based around the principle of investment, including investment in yourself. What is a good Investment, and how do you decide to allocate your resources? Become a patient investor in an impatient world with a mania for change.

Finance & Investing, the Arts, Collecting and buying at Auction, Wine, Publishing, Health & Fitness, Jewellery, Interior decoration, Fashion: these are just some of the main topics we will be having talks on.

Please review the web site: www.thelectureclub.com   for all details of forthcoming speakers.

 4) Where do you see it moving to? What does the future hold for the Lecture Club?

My vision is for the lectures to attract hundreds of people to hear outstanding speakers from various fields. I want the Lecture Club to become a major platform for them.

5) How do you feel the Lecture Club contributes to the local community?

I have found that it brings people from the community with varied interests together, and has helped a very worthwhile charity at the same time. It is truly becoming a Club.

6) How did you come across Debut Contemporary and what made you decide to collaborate?

I met Paul Harrison through a contact of my son who works for Westfield. Paul, who is in marketing, suggested I contact the gallery to discuss holding lectures in the gallery. I met with the very progressive Samir and Sophia and we both liked the idea of collaboration.

Our first event will be held on 20 March, when Samir will talk on art and finance in the global market.

7) How do you see the collaboration with Debut Contemporary develop in the future?

We will find speakers to stimulate activity in the area of art that Debut is focused on and so to grow audiences for both our platforms.

8) How is your relationship to art yourself, who are your favourite artists and are you a collector?

I began my diploma of art at the Byam Shaw, progressed to Goldsmith College of Art and then to Chelsea School of Art.

My ambition was to become a graphic artist and the area I wanted to develop in was cartoon art.

So began my love of art and particularly the impressionists. I am also fond of different genres, Warhol, Faile and today’s illustrators.

I collect art deco, 18^th caricature art and 20^th century illustrators.

9) What is the best advice you’ve been given in your life?

Persevere and be determined through thick and thin.

In conversation with Anne Kapranos

Anne Kapranos knows all about PR. Having worked at PR agencies for several years she last year started her own: Kapranos PR. Tomorrow she will be leading yet another one of her great workshops, and to get in the right mindset we asked her a few questions today:

Anne, please tell us a bit more about you and your background?
I am 30 years old. I was born in Scotland to an English mother and a Greek father and grew up in Glasgow. I have always been surrounded by creativity, with a very musical family and grew up with my nose always in a book. I graduated from Edinburgh University with an MA in English Language and Literature in 2004 and wasn't sure what to do. The option was either being a teacher or becoming a very low paid journalist. A friend's brother had a PR company in London so I applied for an internship, my career grew from there.

How did you come across Debut Contemporary and what is your initial view of what we stand for?
I found myself on the newsletter for Debut and was invited to a couple of gallery views. The work on display and the wording of the newsletter made me curious to find out more, so I arranged a meeting with Samir to chat and see how we could work together. What I found was a breath of fresh air. Having dealt with a lot of galleries in the past, Debut stands out from all the rest. Nobody else is as dedicated to helping their represented artists grow and advise them on how to make Art into a viable career option. 

What can the artists expect from your workshop here?
The workshop is a basic introduction to PR. I tell the artists what kind of work I do and how they can implement a few key rules in order to create their own PR campaign. I ask them to think about themselves as a brand and how that translates to the press as news stories and features, as well as giving tips on how best to approach the press and how to write a kick ass press release!

You recently found your own PR agency Kapranos PR, what made you decide to start your own agency and how has this been going?
I took the big and scary step to start up on my own in July last year. I wanted to specialise in cool lifestyle brands and carve out a niche for myself in London, looking after the coolest new bars, restaurants and events. It is going really well. We are expanding nicely and I have some cool clients on my books, which makes me incredibly proud.

What would be your top 5 tips for aspiring, talented and ambitious artists when it comes down to PR?
Know your brand, think about how you can stand out from your contributors, collaborate with other press worthy brands, be as creative with your brand story as you are with your art, and don't give up.

How does an artist approach journalists successful and get featured as a result?
An artist has to be polite, well-spoken but persistent and target the right journalist for the story they are pitching in. They need to know what the angle is and why the journalist would want to feature them. Then it's all about chasing it up!

And on a personal level…

What are your future ambitions? What's next for you personally and professionally?
I would like Kapranos PR to grow to be recognised as one of the leading lifestyle agencies in London whilst staying true to its boutique roots. I am writing a book about PR so I am hoping to have that published this year. Personally, I am getting married in September, so the wedding is pretty much all-consuming at the moment, and I am also writing a series of children's stories.

Who are your favourite artists?

I am pretty basic really - I love anything by Picasso and have always thought Gustav Klimt has made some of the most beautiful art in the world.

Who are you inspired by?
My close family and my fiancé, all of whom push me and show me that hard work can go a long way. I love strong women, and my inspirations are as varied as Mary Portas, Dorothy Parker and Victoria Beckham. 

Tell us a London secret you are aware of…
If you want to go to any party in town, sometimes it's as easy as just emailing the PR and ask to be put on the guest list. 

Follow Anne on Twitter: @KapranosPR / @anniekappie 

Spotlight Artist: Junko O'Neill

Junko O'Neill is a painter who leads the viewer to sense the space in her art work. Her art is strongly inspired by the Japanese concept called Ma, a concept unique to Japanese culture which means an aesthetic sense of distance, created by detachment in time and space. It is neither time alone nor space alone.  It is a mixed concept of both.  With Ma, space is perceived in terms of time-flow.

Ma will be explored further in Junko's upcoming solo show Fragments of Time, which opens tomorrow at GV Art on Baker Street. We talk her about her show, Haruki Murakami, and more: 

Tell us a bit more about your forthcoming solo exhibition, how it came about and what your expectations are regarding the show?

It is titled ‘Fragments of Time’ and will run from next week from 19th until 24th March at GV Art gallery on Chiltern Street, Marylebone, London. The Private View is on Wednesday 20^th March 6:30-9:30 pm. It will showcase the most comprehensive body of my work, ranging from figurative and abstract paintings to 3D resin pieces encasing origami cranes. As my work is inspired by the Japanese spatial and temporal concept called ‘Ma’, various Japanese-related public programmes are planned in order as well.

Five months or so ago, Samir told me that I was ready to have a solo show and advised me to plan one this year. I started looking for a space, vaguely thinking late summer or autumn. I came across this beautiful gallery space which was temporarily available until spring. As it was such a perfect space that I did not want to miss, I decided to go ahead although I only had five  months to prepare for the show. Samir and his Debut team, Sophia, Carolin and Kelvin, always have been at hand giving both moral and practical support.

My ideal scenario will be to be approached by one of the galleries I have been following.

What else can we expect from Junko O’Neill in 2013?

Soon after my solo show, I am taking part in The Other Art Fair at the end of April. To be honest, I haven’t got time to think beyond that. I need to see first where my solo show will take me.

As for my artwork, I hope to be able to start painting figurative pieces I have in my mind for some time, inspired by Japanese novels, including Haruki Murakami’s. Debut’s scheme is so intensive that you need to sacrifice some of your creative time to implement what you have learnt from mentoring meetings and workshops. So, after completing the scheme, I should be able to spend more time creating artwork and, hopefully, I can have a group show somewhere in London.

Junko, you soon will complete your full term at Debut, having worked closely with Samir, Sophia and the rest of the team. How did you find the whole experience and what were your personal highlights at Debut?

As most Debut artists who have completed their full term would agree, the first quarter was an eye opening period, to learn how to deal with the world of art business. To get the most out of the scheme, I strongly believe that you need to spend longer than just one quarter. Otherwise it is like just sewing a seed and forgetting about watering it. It depends on individuals but for me I needed the full term to see any seedling coming out.

What has been the most invaluable lesson you’ve learnt being part of Debut?

The more effort you put in, the more you get rewarded. What you learn either at a workshop or a meeting with Samir really sinks in if you do the ‘homework’ you are given. Also, if you work hard, the Debut team reward you with their moral and practical support.

What piece of advice would you give to all ambitious and talented artists willing to take a step in the right direction? 

Aim high while maintaining the quality of your work. Although you have to be aware of the business side of art, you also have to remember your artwork is the most important thing. Do not fall into a ‘too-commercially minded production line’, neglecting the standards of your work.

Samir often talked about your career and its potential behind your talent and how he is confident that one day soon, you will be very successful. What do you think he means by that?

Having somebody believing in my potential has helped enormously to improve my confidence in my work. Samir knew that I lacked self confidence and helped me all the way through to make me believe in myself. Now that I have the confidence and knowledge that I acquired from Debut’s programme, it is up to me how I use them to achieve recognition.

What inspired you to become an artist in the first place?

As I child, I always loved art. I remember, at school, I could not wait for the next art lesson as soon as one finished.  So my friends from that period would not be surprised to know that I am an artist now.  But it took me a long time to come this far. 

When I went to Art College here, I was desperate to find the way to prove myself. Living away from my home country, my self esteem was very low but my love of art gave me a hope for me to become somebody. For me, it is not ambition but desperation for survival.

What is your future vision? Where will Junko be in 2018?

Hopefully represented by a gallery and exhibiting internationally. I also hope to have a couple ‘Ma’ related Japanese books translated in English, if I can find a suitable translator and acquire sponsorship/a grant. There are hardly any books available about this spatial and temporal Japanese concept in English. The books probably won’t be ready by 2018 but I feel this is almost my mission.

How did you come across Debut Contemporary in the first place?

I received a Debut’s newsletter or Private View invitation by email and took it from there. 

How has your career changed as a result of being involved with Debut on both practical level as well as your future prospects?

I wanted to change how people regard me as an artist. Before I started the scheme, people saw me as a figurative painter. I wanted my abstract work to be more recognised. With my displayed art at Debut changed regularly and also with my involvement in the Other Art Fair last November, people started to see me as a painter who works both in figurative and abstract forms.

Who is your favourite artist?

Edward Hopper and Peter Doig. Also the Japanese artist Tohaku Hasegawa (1539 - 1610) - his Pine Trees is breathtakingly beautiful and is a National Treasures of Japan.

Who and what inspires you?  

For art, the Japanese concept of ‘Ma’ and Japanese literature including Haruki Murakami’s.   Japanese novels and poems give far more inspiration for my art than that of Western. As for a person, I have never met as an inspirational person as Samir. He is passionate about what he believes in and realises its potential.  I do not think I will ever be an entrepreneur like him but I would like to follow his motto of ‘treating people in the way you want to be treated’. 

What are you currently reading and where is your next holiday?

I am recapping all the ‘Ma’ concept- related books for the show. When I go to Japan in Easter for a well-earned break, I’ll definitely get hold of the most recent novel by Haruki Murakami, years before it gets translated into English, making Murakami fans here envious!  You never know, that I may get more inspiration for my work from the novel.

Do you have an interesting fact for us? 

While the Chinese place chopsticks perpendicularly to the edge of the table, the Japanese place them parallel to it.

Junko O'Neills Fragments of Time opens on 20 March. See the full details below:

Junko O’Neill: Fragments of Time

A solo exhibition of art

Inspired by the Japanese space / time concept “Ma”

Date: 19-24 March 2013

Venue: GV Art Gallery, 49 Chiltern Street, London W1U6LY

 Private View 20 March 6.30 – 9.30, RSVP required

The exhibition is complemented by a series of diverse public programme events to take place at the gallery

21 March 2013 7- 9.30 PM Panel Discussion around the concept ‘Ma’ in different art forms & every day life, and music interlude by Robin Thompson from the Okeanos Ensemble

23 March 2013 

11.30 AM  - 1 PM Walk-in origami folding for families

2.30 – 4 PM Introduction to Calligraphy, a workshop for adults, with Sachiko Mason, £5

Artist talk by Junko O’Neill 22 March 2013 4.30 PM / 24 March 2013 2 PM  

Admission to the exhibition and events is FREE, except for the  calligraphy workshop