MUNTHE ART MONDAY: STINNE ULDAL NGUYEN

Name: Stinne Uldal Nguyen
Instagram: @isolastudio
Multidisciplinary artist

Please introduce yourself and tell us about what you do.

My name is Stinne and I go by the name Isola Studio. I am a multidisciplinary artist and I work across different mediums, with textures and contrasts. Constantly trying to find the perfect balance of raw beauty.

I mainly use paper, wood, fabric and paint and I love the tactility the different materials bring.

The inspiration comes in many forms: a walk-in nature, a person I meet or even just looking in an interior magazine.

Could you explain more about how being a woman has affected your career?

For me it’s all about being taken seriously and that seems to be easier for men than for women. Whether or not it has any truth to it, I don’t know but now and then, I feel a real need to prove myself.

“For a woman, you’re quite good” is a sentence that has stuck with me, and I don’t think I will ever forget it. Furthermore, it doesn’t take much to notice how good men are at helping each other push forward. The past few years there has been a shift and women are suddenly supporting each other - especially the younger generation. I am sure this is the main factor towards change and if we keep going, I have no doubt the numbers will slowly but surely change. 

Can you name some other female (artist) that inspires you and explain why they do so?

There are so many talented female artists and it’s hard to choose. These are the ones I keep coming back to:

Anne Nowak for her confidence and her almost magical and dreamlike approach to color, and materials. 

The sculptural work by Josephine Winding is both bold and cloud-like at the same time. It is so precious and yet something you notice right away.

Faye Toogood is extremely skilled and inspiring in every creative line of work, and she seems to melt into an otherwise male dominated world. 

Zoë Kravitz is for me the very definition of feminism. She is bold, strong, and politically active while encouraging women to stay together and support one another. And then of course there is the fact that she is a brilliant actor and singer.

What has been the most challenging aspect of being a female artist?

The expectations - from others but especially from myself. Imagine if you could be a part of the 2 percent! Or even better, to raise the number... Other than that, I have a tendency, as so many other women, to think too much about every little detail.

The dream and plan are to start a network of brilliant female artists. To create a place, you can be inspired and supported in every way - that is something I really look forward to and hope to succeed with.

What would you like people to notice in your artwork?

I hope people can sense the play between material, color, and emotion. And maybe even get drawn by the simplicity and feel something themselves. Some of my work changes by the interference of light and that is something I think is quite interesting to experiment with. My hope is that people will take the time to slow down and take it all in. Details and emotions.

Each Monday we bring you a fresh interview with a female artist.
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