TANGUY’S ART IS INSPIRED BY LONDON, MARSEILLE & EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN

by Stella Hughes 2 years ago

by Stella Hughes 2 years ago 3 min

Tanguy is the artist circulating in all the right spheres – chilling and collaborating with Clint, Slawn and other frontrunners in the current UK streetwear scene. Crafting paintings that encompass everything from colour-curated still life scenes (Lobster and all) to oil on canvas depictions of a balaclava’d figure, the artist is still only getting started.

We caught up with the creative to talk bridging London and Marseille, staying in his lane, and advice for emerging artists trying to break into the scene.

Have you always been into art? Talk us through your journey.
Yes, pretty much! I started drawing at a young age and a few years later I started painting. But really, I started to get into it seriously after I moved to London.

How would you describe what you do to someone who’s not fully immersed in the creative scene?
A lot of my inspiration comes from my surroundings, especially my friends in London, Marseille and everywhere in between. I take a lot of inspiration from my personal, lived-in experiences and moments, especially photographs that have captured these moments. I am also fascinated by colour and this is very reflective in my practice.

How would you describe your work and its place in the wider art space?
I just keep my head down and stay in my lane.

Who (or what) are your creative influences and why?
My creative influences come from my everyday life, my friends and what surrounds me.

Do you have a piece that best represents you or your work at large?
I would say this one:

What advice would you give to emerging artists – something that you wish you’d known?
The advice I would give would be… to not let nobody tell you you can’t do something, believe in yourself, stay consistent in your work and of course work hard.

Can you talk us through your creative process? How do pieces come to be from conception to reality?
Essentially I take pictures of moments that inspire me, and then do sketches of them. Then the painting process begins – so pictures are super important in my process.