CConversations: Hayley Axelrad, Artist
WELCOME TO CCONVERSATIONS — PRESENTED BY THE CC EDIT
WHERE WE CONNECT WITH FELLOW CREATIVES AND INNOVATORS TO DISCUSS eNTREPRENEURSHIP AND THE PURSUIT OF CREATIVE ENDEAVOURS.
IN THIS CCONVERSATION WE CONNECT WITH HAYLEY AXELRAD, ARTIST.
In this CConversation, we connect with Hayley Axelrad, a contemporary figurative artist based in Toronto, Canada. Through Hayley’s work and subjectivity, she captures fleeting moments that evokes a sense of nostalgia. Often drawing from old family photographs and pop culture references, Hayley’s work illustrates colourful stories of vacations, childhood moments, and dreamlike settings that resonate deeply. We explore Hayley’s artistic journey and her evolving process, balancing spontaneity with careful planning, and uncovering the personal family stories that inspire her. Join us as we peel back the layers of Hayley's creativity, from early inspirations to her latest show, "Shiny Happy People."
HI HAYLEY! WELCOME TO CCONVERSATIONS. FOR THOSE WHO ARE NEW TO YOUR WORK, COULD YOU SHARE A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND HOW YOU BEGAN YOUR JOURNEY AS AN ARTIST?
Thank you so much for having me. I feel like my story is similar to most in that I grew up feeling like an artist and wanting to be an artist so badly but had people around me tell me that it was impossible. I sort of gave up on that dream for a while and got a BA in Art History from McGill University (not sure why I thought a BA in art history would be more practical than a BFA but alas). Throughout university I started doing various fashion-related internships, most notably one at W Magazine and worked in fashion styling after that, first as an in house stylist at the Garage Clothing Head Office in Montreal and then moved back to Toronto and freelanced a bit. About three and a half years ago my dad passed away and I had a big shift in perspective; life’s short and all that. So, I went back to school for fine arts at The Academy of Realist Art (ARA) in Toronto where I studied academic realism and all of the fun intense technical stuff. After a couple years at ARA, I got a studio at the school and started making my own work, really straying away from realism. Although only a year ago, so many wonderful things have happened since then!
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ARTISTIC STYLE TO SOMEONE VIEWING YOUR WORK FOR THE FIRST TIME?
My style can be categorized as “naive”, meaning it has a sort of childlike quality to it. People have referred to it as folk art. It’s also expressionist and spontaneous, super colourful (colour is my first love). I usually work from old family photos or random found images to create compositions that tell a story in some way. I like creating psychological portraits of people, while the subjects may appear happy at first glance, there is an underlying tension brewing below the surface. Ultimately, through my paintings I am attempting to depict life in all of its weirdness and imperfection.
CONSIDERING THAT OLD FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS ARE PIVOTAL IN INSPIRING YOUR PIECES , HOW HAS YOUR PERCEPTION OF NOSTALGIA EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS, AND HOW HAS THIS EVOLUTION AFFECTED YOUR ART?
Using family photos as references has given me so much rare insight into my family dynamics and specifically it’s allowed me to see my parents as human because I feel like I’m watching them grow up. I don’t think I get super sentimental, it’s just interesting and often allows me to answer questions about myself and where I come from. I think also knowing your subjects creates so much intimacy in a piece and I probably subconsciously add in pieces of my family member’s personalities without even knowing it. I do get nostalgic at times looking through the photos, especially of my mom and dad. Nostalgic for a time I wasn't there for. I smile looking at pictures of them young and carefree and figuring life out.
ONCE YOU’RE SELECTED A VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH OR SUBJECT, WHAT ELEMENTS DO YOU FOCUS ON DURING THE CREATION PROCESS (E.G., COMPOSITION, MOOD, SUBJECTS)? ADDITIONALLY, HOW DOES THE SIZE OF THE ARTWORK INFLUENCE IT’S IMPACT AND INTERPRETATION?
I don’t think my process can be summed up neatly as it’s ever evolving and changing depending on the piece I'm working on. In the beginning, it was strictly family photos and I would pick one, mix the colours and, on an 8x10” canvas and dive right into it without any drawing underneath and it was completely intuitive. That works very well for the smaller pieces, particularly because there’s not much to lose financially, and the stakes are low. As I’ve started to work larger I find myself needing a little bit more of a plan. So more recently I’ve started to do sketches in marker, especially for pieces with multiple figures where I’m usually pulling from several different references. They’re usually super rough sketches in varying colours and no one can really understand them except for me which makes commissions a little difficult (haha) but I just ask people to trust the process. I don’t like to do studies in paint because if I end up liking the study better than the final product I get really sad. I can’t feel spontaneous or expressive if I’m trying to exactly replicate a study so it’s a delicate balance. From there I will use mineral spirits and usually raw umber to very loosely block in where everything’s going to go, pre-mix my colours s(o I don’t have to think too much while I’m painting), and I’m off to the races. I paint thickly and spontaneously and listen to podcasts to get out of my head.
ARE THERE ANY PARTICULAR PHOTOGRAPHERS OR ERAS THAT YOU FIND ESPECIALLY INSPIRING?
Most of my paintings are a complete mashup of sort of the mid to late 20th century decades - usually 50s/60s/70s and sometimes 80s and 90s, depending on the body of work I’m creating. For my current show “Shiny Happy People” I pulled a lot of 50s/60s references from photographers like Slim Aarons and painters like David Hockney. I’m definitely trying to conjure a feeling of mid-century Palm Springs or LA. I want to portray this world of abundance, hedonism and excess coupled with a sense of discontent and loneliness. The name “Shiny Happy People” is meant to be tongue-in-cheek. Even more than photographs, I’m extremely inspired by film aesthetics, particularly the worlds of directors like David Lynch, Wes Anderson, Woody Allen, Godard, Sophia Coppola, Hitchcock, Kubrick and countless others. Movies are a massive source of inspiration to me.
HOW DO YOU SEE YOURE ART AND PROCESS EVOLVING IN THE FUTURE? ARE THERE ANY NEW THEMES OR SPECIFIC MEMORIES YOU’RE EXCITED TO EXPLORE IN YOUR UPCOMING WORKS?
I think in the future I’d like to start working larger and larger. Scale is so impactful to me. In terms of themes, I’m not sure yet. I’ll have to see where my head is at after I come off of this summery mod Palm Springs vibe. I do think my inspirations are heavily tied to my own life and what’s going on in the world around me. It's summer right now and my paintings reflect that. Because I produce work quickly it’s easy for me to paint what I’m feeling right now instead of having an idea and executing it over a long period of time and being sick of it by the end. It’s important to me to keep the work fresh and intuitive.
INTERESTED IN MORE? FIND HAYLEY AXELRAD ONLINE HERE OR ON INSTAGRAM @HAYLEYAXELRAD
ARTICLE HOSTED BY: CANDICE CRISTÓVÃO
IMAGE DETAILS:
PHOTOSHOOT CURATED BY: CCURATE
PHOTOGRAPHED BY: TAYLOR RENEE WHYTE (HERE)
LOCATION: THE LOBBY BY HEAPS ESTRIN