Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emily Hoerdemann. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My artwork is more than just about creating a picture, it’s about the research and growth that comes along with it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was born in the hometown of Betty Friedan, in the home state of Joan Mitchell and Judy Chicago: Peoria, Illinois. My mother was a graphic designer, who also did arts and crafts. I grew up with my Mother’s art studio in the basement, and I studied painting and photography in undergrad, graduating in 2008 with a double BFA. I moved to New York in 2011 for a Master’s degree in Contemporary Art from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, after which I worked for several collections and artists, most notably a private collection that ranks in the Top 200 in the world. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, I shifted my career focus to exclusively studio work where I am an independent archivist for artist studios, as well as maintain my studio practice where I work primarily in collage. My works challenge feminist themes with humor and grace, utilizing analog collage with tangible materials to capture the sensory experience of time, nostalgia, and memory. As a result, each work is a delicate placing of aesthetics and color.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Besides being able to do what you love, and be able to learn and grow from your own process, I love reaching a new audience with artwork that means so much to me. I feel that there are so many layers (pun intended!) of my collages, that span the personal to the educational and when someone is able to connect to something in the meaning with their own story, I feel I’ve made a successful piece.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

As my works have evolved, the message propelling their research has changed, too. I used to simply explore themes of femininity and fashion paired with appropriation of fine art, but my research on period equity, miscarriage and child loss, the birth and motherhood experience, and the inequity of the art market has found its way into my art. As a result, several of my series center around these themes as a way to work through my findings personally, but to also share the information I am processing through art.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.emilyhoerdemann.com
• Instagram: @millyhoerdemann