DuduBloom began drawing when she was 25 and hasn’t looked back since. Today, she explores her creativity through visual art, and we couldn’t be more thankful that she does

1. What does art mean to you? 
Art means expression, meditation, learning and unlearning. It means transcending experience and connecting with others visually. To me, it means creating mental stability that spreads into other areas of my life. It is a way to make sense of what has come before me; it clarifies the present, and somewhat prepares me for the future.

2. What sparked your interest in art and was it always the career path that you wanted to follow? 
I grew up in a creative family and was always a creative child, but I never pictured myself being an artist. After high school I chose to study Accounting, but after some time, with the help of a psychologist, I realised that I should rather be pursuing something in the creative field. I only discovered that I’m a visual artist a few years later when I was spending a lot of time at my local library. During a very depressive period, I decided to doodle one day, then drew on a full page the next day, and drew every day after that. That’s when I knew art is what I should be doing. I’ve never looked back.

3. You’re a textile artist. What is it about this medium that attracted you to it? 
I think there are a number of things that attract me to textile. As a child, I would always try to alter my own clothes. In that sense I have been using textiles for a long time. I love the sensory part of it. I love touching things. I’ll never get over how soft or how rough it is depending on the material; how it feels when it runs through my fingers; how plush it is when it is gathered up in a bunch. What I also like is the idea of it being a long linear thing, like a story or situation. Once I cut that thread, a new story begins.

4. How would you describe your work? 
I would describe it as appealing, colourful, engaging, soft, feminine, lightweight but sometimes bulky, layered. It has a sensory pull, meaning it draws one in to touch it. 

5. Your work is often made up of smaller pieces that create something larger. Why is this?
I do this to layer, build and expand the work, just as I am a human being who has layers to them and always keen on growing and expanding.

6. What is it that you try to convey through your art? Is there something specific that you hope people will take away with them after having seen your work? 
In my previous bodies of work, I touched on my mental health. I was still exploring my triggers and my sensitivities, while also learning to manoeuvre in this world with anxiety. Now that I know more about myself through all that learning, I’m more comfortable to show or reveal more of my personality outside of my anxiety. My work helps me with my mental health. It is therapeutic and meditative – and once a piece is completed, I feel like I have accomplished something good. My work has taught me to pursue what makes me feel good and be okay with sharing my vulnerabilities. There is a lot of work that goes into both the artwork and staying mentally healthy, so I hope people experience the joy and wonder that I am actively pursuing. 

7. Tell us a bit more about your artwork ‘Waiting for Spring’. 
Spring feels like a new beginning. We feel the warmth. We see the flowers bloom. We step outside. We show some skin. Everything feels fresh and there’s hope in the air. The work ‘Waiting for Spring’ was me eagerly waiting for that breath of fresh air. I had a number of tumultuous moments during the past year and this work was me manifesting a period of things getting calmer and easier. 

8. Where do you find inspiration? 
My family, my friends and the people around me. Being in the city and the buzz that comes with it. Music and sound, the warmth of the sun, the sense of touch. Watching people being fully themselves in the best way they know how is also inspiring.

9. What can we look forward to from you in the near future?
 I’m excited for my designs to be translated into actual useable textile. I can’t mention who I am working with yet but that will happen soon. 

Words by Megan Paulse 
Photography: Berman Contemporary