We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarah Albisser a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I was born in Switzerland in the mid seventies. Both of my parents love art and design. My father was an architect and now he is retired as a full time artist. Growing up I spent a lot of time in my dad’s studio, from the time I could walk I had a paint brush in my hand. Our home was filled with art and design furnitures. I started off as a dancer and choreographer until my late 20s but my injuries became really bad and I had to stop performing. From there, it was a natural thing to move into the visual arts. It was always something I loved but never had time to do. I always knew that I had to pursue a creative path. I can’t imagine life without creativity.

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

One of my favourite quotes by Oscar Wilde is: Be yourself, everyone else is already taken. For me art is an expression of freedom. It’s connecting with your subconscious mind and translating this onto a visual expression. Over the past seventeen years I have been experimenting with black and white female characters. I was always fascinated with faces, expression, body and gesture. In my work I capture, feelings, moods and mental states. I never use images or photos, most of my works are created through improvisation. My work is inspired by strong female characters, who are original and have a powerful presence. All my works are in black and white. As most of us see the world in colour, black and white tends to distance us from reality and transfer the viewer to a kingdom of abstraction.
I like to explore different mediums, I been working with thread using the sewing machine but also hand stitching through paper. I like the three dimensional effect I can achieve with this technique.
Then the second one is, Ink on paper, creating large drawings of heads, I name them Wirehead’s. These drawings have evolved from a long history of sketching.! I call it structured improvisation; a combination of uncontrolled and con- trolled chaos with some identifiable characteristics. They represent the energy of thinking and the subconscious mind in movement and in the moment.
Third, I like to paint on board as the surface is firm and I can use different tools to apply the paint.

Collaborations / Commissions
One of my artworks is now on a label of a Gin Bottle made by The National Distillery in Napier. The combination of my artwork and their design of the label has come out really amazing. Seeing my art in a new context has given me a new perspective. The Gin has won the silver medal at the Australian Gin Awards in Sydney 2020 and the bronze medal at the world wine & spirits competition in New York.
In the future I would like to be involved in more project and collaborations. That is probably the only thing I miss as an artist, working by myself and not being able to bounce ideas around.
Each artwork I sell makes me feel very lucky and I wish I could meet and say thank you to every buyer. To make an income from what you love to do is truly a dream come true. So far, the flow of inspiration keeps coming and I am excited for my creative future.
I am also very grateful to my family and friends who have supported me on this journey throughout life because nothing we achieve is ever done just by ourselves.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Having a past as a gymnast and a professional dancer has helped me with both physical and mental resilience. Building up a basic trust for your passion, is what will get you through the tough times.

Our mind and bodies are incredible, looking back I am very thankful to have had all these experiences from a really young age. To learn for example, how much further you can go when you think you have reached your limits, has helped me throughout life. At the same time recognising your limits and learning to say no. To understand that discipline and practise leads to a better performance. It is a combination of the physical body and the power of the mind. It’s really about getting to know yourself.

Being criticised, corrected and rejected at auditions or just in training on a regular base is not always easy to take and to deal with.
I had to learn who to trust and who to listen to, which is not always straight forward.
Luckily my parents were really supportive and protective, I felt I had a safe place to be honest about my feelings and what was happening.

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

Because my work is really personal, I pick themes and subject which are relevant to me at the time. Which means I can explore and process things which are important to me and take them through a creative process into a visual expression.

It is also a great feeling and rewarding to have finished a new series of paintings and to see them all up hanging in a gallery space.

Sometimes I get sent photos or videos from buyers who want to share with me where they have hung my painting but also their joy of having bought my art, which is always great to hear.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sarahalbisser.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artsarahalbisser/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artalbissersarah/