Tell me about yourself. What sparked your interest in pursuing a career in art?

My name is Glen Gashi, I am a 24 year old Albanian born in London and raised by immigrant parents. I was raised in council housing around the Camden area. I was lucky enough to attend a primary school that enjoyed teaching all forms of art, be it drama, music, painting etc. Drawing was also a pastime that me and my brother would share. However, growing up I didn't think that a career in arts was worth pursuing due to my class and upbringing, I would focus on science subjects during my adolescence and only draw very occasionally. This led me to attend the University of Sussex for a BSc in genetics. Moving away with more time to myself had me seeking something to work on, so I started to doodle again. This quickly became an obsession, having me practice everyday and even drawing in lectures. I now have ideas for more elaborate pieces and have started to paint as well.

Why is your chosen medium graphite? How does graphite help convey the narrative of your work?

At first I stuck with graphite as it was what I was used to, having used it when I was young. I would also teach myself proportions and anatomy from drawing books and the works of Kim Jung Gi, so drawing was just what I did and continued to do without thinking much of it at the start. Now I use it as a way to convey a very detailed scene, trying to suggest all the real world colours and textures to the user without them actually being present (if that makes sense lol), like a dream almost. With graphite I feel I can bring immense detail to ideas that aren't real.

What ignites your imagination? When do you feel most inspired?

I am constantly thinking of ideas. I like to think while I listen to music a lot too. I have ideas pop up when I look at certain things or while I'm doing random tasks and I rush to write my ideas down. I have also started writing about the pieces while I do them in order to get a better idea of the feelings I wish to convey.

Describe your process for creating one of your pieces from start to finish.

I first have an idea. I will then look at a bunch of references to help flesh out the idea. For example, if I want a mountain scape in the piece, I will look at loads of photos of mountains (I would like to do this in real life but unfortunately London has no mountains). Or I look at photos I have taken myself on trips. I then do some preliminary sketches to get a feel for composition, but nothing is ever set in stone, even when I start the piece. I then usually start with the key point of the piece. In my recent drawings this has been a figure. I then develop the space around the key point. After this is done I will go over everything again and again in order to develop a wide range of tones and make any adjustments I want to make.

How is your artwork a reflection of yourself? What emotions would you like to provoke from the viewer?

My work, especially my recent work, is very much a deep reflection of myself. I like to also use it as a way to deal with and understand emotions I have and do feel. Along with this I try to make an image striking enough in order to hit the viewer with emotion, whatever emotion that may be, and a plus is if they find the images relatable in any way. I don't care if the viewer likes the image or not, I just want it to leave an impression and show undeniable dedication. To give a more direct answer on the emotions I think my art provokes, I think it shows a form of isolation, especially a new isolation due to the death of human communities and cultures in modern civilisation, especially cities. I also convey personal troubles I have but also a yearning for nature. I also like detail as it's a representation of how my brain works, which is that it overworks to the point of exhaustion.

Who is your greatest artist inspiration? If you could ask them one question, what would it be?

I have gotten to find a great deal of inspiration as I delved deeper into the art world. I have found artists I admire greatly such as Alberto Morrocco, Waldemar Fink and Fernando Armosolo. These styles are extremely different to mine but I see them as a goal to develop a style just as distinct and recognisable in painting as well as drawing. Two huge inspirations to me when starting out were Kim Jung Gi and Leonardo Da vinci. I would copy copy copy and this led me to develop the eyes I have today, as well as my style of drawing which developed naturally through practice rather than imitation. I would not ask any questions as that ruins the fun of figuring stuff. Instead, I would just ask to watch them work.

Has there been a pivotal point in your career so far as an artist? What are your future aspirations?

There have been two pivotal points. The first was selling a self portrait to a private collection in Turkey and the second was being asked to apply for Sky Portrait Artist of the Year and getting on, the second being very embarrassing however, as I think I did quite badly as time limits don't favour my style and just was not my day.

I have future aspirations of doing a masters, either in drawing or painting and becoming a professor of fine arts.

Why do you think art is important in society?

Art is so important in any form as I feel as though the best art shows us the struggles of being human. Understanding this struggle and creating things in spite of it brings purpose in a life that often seems meaningless.

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ARTIST INTERVIEW: GLEN GASHI