While television networks start their horror programming gearing up for Halloween, we too are getting the bats hung and knives sharpened. This is perfect timing to show off the self taught, images-from-your-nightmares work of Norrköping, Sweden’s own Mia Mäkilä who is one of the amazing artists in Bewitching II at Stranger Factory. To best describe Mia, we’ll go with her own words:
“I guess everyone’s calling me a “horror artist” because I deal with difficult emotions and themes such as fear, angst, madness, rage and sorrow in my art. But I also use a lot of humour. Making my demons having fun on the canvas. You could describe my art as horror pop surrealism or dark lowbrow. My work includes mixed media, paintings and digital collages.
I’m self taught, using my own techniques and constantly learning new stuff. Sometimes it works, sometimes it sucks, but that’s all part of my self education. The fact that I’m also an art historian has definitely had a great impact on my art. But I’m mostly inspired by movies and film directors such as David Lynch, Ingmar Bergman, Alfred Hitchcock, Roy Andersson, Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton and artists like Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel, Francisco Goya, Jean-Michel Basquiat and the masters of Disney Studio’s in the 1930’s-40’s. All my colleagues in the Lowbrow Art Movement are also inspiration sources.”
Mia’s work for Bewitching II can be seen starting Oct. 5.
Stranger Factory
109 Carlisle Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
505-508-3049
Hit the jump for images of Mia’s past work.
