Izziyana was the first person I ever interviewed and this is an old interview from a previous blog of mine but I still find Izziyana's work beautiful and worth sharing. I fell in love with the embroidered patterns, simple honest faces and intricately drawn hair. The simplicity in her current work is just as striking, she now mainly embroiders. I love the positive message below that she gave 15 year old me who was struggling to draw faces. Without further babble here is my(slightly embarrassing) interview from 2013.
Who taught you to embroider and how old were you?
I actually started embroidering only a few years ago, although both my grandmothers were embroiderers. I learnt mostly through watching youtube tutorials and books.
When did you start drawing?
I am sort of a sporadic drawer. I started drawing since I was small. I go through phases when I would draw a lot, and then I would draw very little.
Where did you study art (if you did)?
I studied photography in university.
When you were younger what did you want to be when you grew up?
For a really long time, I wanted to be a writer.
What inspires you?
Inspiration comes from everything! The things you read, you see, you hear. Sometimes it is how you feel in a moment, or an image grabs you while daydreaming
How do you spend your days?
Most days I try my very best to keep on working, because there are so many things I want to make. But sometimes it gets a bit hard to work, so I fill up my time with reading or learning something new, which will all eventually go back into the work itself in some way.
I am having trouble drawing faces at the moment what helps you draw faces/tips?
There's no "right" way of drawing faces. Sometimes I wish I could draw portraits like Stefan Marx. A face is ultimately a portrait of a person. Keep working at it and I promise you, the Issey way of drawing faces will be magical because no one else can do it like you do.
If you could give a young artist advice what would it be?
This is a hard one, because there is so many things to say but everyone has their own journey! Yeap, that's my advice, everyone has their own journey and their own truths. Be honest in your work and keep making even if you feel scared or doubtful. Keep making so that you can find your own voice, what no one else can do and say but you.
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