Image courtesy of the artist.
Sara Hoskins is a 21-year-old multimedia artist. She explores the intersection of digital and analog art, straddling the line between simplicity and complexity as she creates physical elements, edits them digitally, and further manipulates prints and photocopies of her art to create the final piece.
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I grew up in Tokyo, Japan and went to a very traditional college prep international school for my K-12 education. Being a white, queer kid in Tokyo was confusing at times. I often felt like I didn’t fit in, while also recognizing the immense privileges I did have. I was eventually diagnosed with learning disabilities in my sophomore year of high school. My school offered little help in developing my identity, and I often felt stunted by the school curriculum. The only space I truly flourished was in the art studio. I began to explore my social, cultural, and political identity through art. This is why a lot of my work feels chaotic and even violent at times.
I just started my senior year of college at Evergreen. Over the past two years I’ve mostly studied visual arts and social justice, but I’ve really taken advantage of Evergreen’s interdisciplinary approach and branched into so many different subjects and approaches to art and activism. This year I’m tackling education and exploring how art, social justice, and education intersect to nurture equity in learning environments. I’m also a tutor at the Evergreen Writing Center, which is my dream job. I get to meet so many students and alumni everyday on shift and support them in cultivating their voices through writing.
Your work exists both in the world of photography and the digital, but also drawing and the analog. Can you tell me about the sort of process you go through when creating?
As an artist, I feel extremely unsatisfied until I can find that texture, color, or composition, which would fully embody the emotion or experience I’m hoping to depict. Sometimes an idea pops into my head, and other times I begin with a vague feeling and I create to fulfill that feeling. I try to create in as many modes as possible. This could mean anything from painting to filmmaking. I learned to use Photoshop and other editing softwares to put pieces of my analog work together. Without realizing it, I would create other realms where my experiences and emotions could exist without judgement or confusion. For me, combining all of these different techniques and mediums and seeing how they fit together was the only way to fully encompass my thoughts, experiences, and emotions.
You’re a self-described “interdisciplinary artist”, can you speak a bit to what that means to you?
My approach to art was always experimental, but taking classes at Evergreen gave me the confidence to define my art as interdisciplinary. To me, being an interdisciplinary artist means being open to any mode or medium of art and actively pursuing new avenues for creation. This is how I grow as an artist and as a person.
You mention that you “share the perspectives of individuals and collectives besides [yourself]” through “consensual collaboration.” Can you talk a little bit about what that is, and how it’s involved in your art?
I create graphics for a nonprofit organization called ArtsEd Washington. Part of that process involves communicating with artist collectives and activists and putting their ideas and words into a visual composition. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has really hindered my ability to interact with communities, but I’m hopeful that I will continue to grow and find ways to collaborate on artwork within the restraints of the pandemic.
You run an Etsy shop (etsy.com/shop/tamboured) and an Instagram account (@tamboured), along with having an online portfolio. How long have you been promoting your art online/through social media? Has your approach to social media changed at all during the pandemic? Is there anywhere else folks can check out your art?
At first, I just shared my art on Instagram and I only really seriously started posting within the last couple of months. Before the pandemic, it seemed like I always had a reason not to take my art seriously, but I’ve since realized that it’s important to pursue your passions — especially when you’re young. In some ways, I think I put more energy into promoting my artwork as a coping mechanism, but it has resulted in amazing opportunities and reinforced my passion!
I just started my small Etsy business selling some stickers and prints of my artwork, but I hope to sell original pieces soon too.
Folks can also get in touch with me via e-mail (hoskstudio@gmail.com), I’m always open to talking or collaborating with other artists!
You can also check out more of Sara’s work at www.hoskstudio.wixsite.com/portfolio.
