Today we’d like to introduce you to Ellen Warner
Hi Ellen, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I first started painting after my mum got me a watercolour set about 7 years ago. I absolutely loved the challenge of learning this new skill and finding a way to express myself, and since then, painting has formed a core part of my practice. In 2020, I was selected for a Tate Collective open call, and was lucky enough to have my work shown on a billboard in London alongside other young creatives. During lockdown, I had the opportunity to experiment with film photography, another key aspect of my art.
I did my foundation at Kingston School of Art, and this year of intensive questioning and making changed my practice dramatically. I started making work about my Korean-British heritage, while exploring new mediums such as film, audio and performance. In March last year, I was selected for a commission and group show at the Barbican, “What Do We Become”, exploring themes of diaspora and cultural identity.
I’m now studying for my BA in Fine Art at the Slade, where I’ve continued to investigate ideas of homeland, the construction of nationhood and ideas of “authenticity” within diasporic culture.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve definitely struggled with burnout and imposter syndrome when it comes to my practice. Making art about heritage is deeply personal and often uncomfortable, and I often question whether I should be making art about this. However, making art about diaspora has led me to meet some wonderful friends interested in similar ideas, and the question of how we understand and interact with different cultures will always be an important one.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I make work in mediums ranging from painting, sculpture, photography, video and installation, exploring my personal experience of growing up Korean-British in the UK, as well as larger forces that shape the way we interact with culture. I often draw upon family photographs and specific locations that I’m familiar with, as well as Korean food, “traditional” heritage and art. My work involves blurring, framing and overlaying -distorted imagery mirrors my experience of existing between “homeland”, diasporic and local culture.
Recently, I’ve also been exploring wider questions of how diasporic culture interacts with nation-building strategies, tourism, and the idea of authenticity. I’ve been experimenting with using found material, whether that’s audio, imagery or objects, and combining these with my own work to examine the interaction of cultural identity and personal experiences.
I’m most proud of a show I was a part of last year, “I SAID FRUIT SALAD [!!!]”, at Hypha Studios Euston. I was asked to be a part of the show alongside a large group of other Global Majority artists, and it was such a privilege to be showing work amongst such talented artists.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was very quiet when I was younger, but I always enjoyed making art. Living in a mainly white area in England, I didn’t have many peers who looked like me, so when I could, I tried to explore my culture through food, learning about Korean art, and trips to New Malden, London’s Koreatown.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ellenwarner.co.uk
- Instagram: @theellenwarner
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCozfzDQE2CSnsUO9YPhY89w
