Mab Graves – Spectrum Exhibition + Interview

In a world of wide eyed girls with cool hair, shy smiles and a twinkle in their eye, Mab Graves perfectly blends in with the artwork she creates. From space aged beauties to candy colored bouffant girls, Graves takes us on a journey through her art on wings of a human eyed insect.

Cool, creepy, sad and sweet, her art has made me a fan from the beginning. She captures my heart with each girl who seems to pout, look sad but knows how to get what she wants. For those that are a fan of insects that crawl to big eyed dolls her art work will capture your heart like it has mine and take it to the grave.

Mab Graves’ latest exhibition Spectrum is currently running at Auguste Clown Gallery in Melbourne and Mab kindly answered a few questions for SCK.

Your newest exhibition Spectrum is all about color so I have to ask right away do you have a favorite color?

Oh, that’s a really hard choice… it would have to be a tie between glitter and clear….or possibly rainbow…

When you are coming up with new ideas do you think of color first or as an afterthought based on the character you came up with?

It’s not really a one-step-two kind of process for me. When I have a new idea it’s comes to me fully formed – colors and all. Little things will change or get added as I’m working of course, but for the most part my pieces are conceived with all their hair and limbs. ^_^

Did you introduce any new ideas, characters or concepts at Spectrum that fans of your work have not seen before?

Yes! Spectrum was all about being able to explore some new themes I hadn’t yet had a chance to express. Most notable probably was my Astro Girl in Caturn space series. I’ve been wanting to paint her for ages! I’m a huge fan of all thing retro 60’s Space Age. The Caturn space-cat-aliens were really fun and a big hit with my kitty loving fans too ^_<

Do pink haired girls have more fun?

YES.

How do you bring color into an otherwise drab day?

Generally it just comes with me ^_< I dress like a crazy babushka doll most of the time (layers of colors and patterns!) and I spray paint my shoes habitually when I’m in the mood for a new color. There is no color I’m shy of. I particularly like the “ugliest” colors – If you pair them with pink hair and a genuine smile it totally changes the way people see them.

What are you working on next?

I’m currently doing research for my next series “Children of the Nephilim” – It will be a series of new paintings and sculptures with sherbet colored prehistoric landscapes, dinosaurs, mega fauna, and giant children – hopefully opening in November. I’m really excited!

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Spectrum is a new collection of paintings, illustrations, miniatures and sculptures inspired by the prism of Mab’s passions. This collection explores new themes, new shapes and plays with new spectrums of colour.  Go see it at Auguste Clown Gallery in Melbourne until May 3rd.

Thanks to Mab Graves and Auguste Clown Gallery.