We meet Emily Redfearn, the Sheffield illustrator and animator spreading positive vibes with her debut show.
Joy is your first solo exhibition – how does it feel to have your own show?
It feels so surreal! I have been to so many other artists’ exhibitions over the years. It was very satisfying to curate my own with things I have wanted to do for a while. After being self-employed for over six years, it felt like the right time to do something like this!
What does ‘joy’ mean to you personally and how do you try to capture it in your work?
The theme really resonated with me – especially as my personality is very much to look on the bright side of things and find the enjoyment in everyday moments as much as the bigger things in life. This, combined with the busy scenes I have been enjoying creating this last year, made me feel like making my interpretation of ‘joy’ an explosion of all the things, big and small, that I enjoy in life. This was through topics inspired by dogs, walking and foods I love, as well as making everything vibrant and colourful, which is how I like my work to be.
The exhibition brings together older pieces and previously unseen work – how did you decide what made the cut?
It was a selective process when it came to incorporating some of the older pieces – the ones that made it to the show were ones that I still resonated with or that linked to the theme of the exhibition. For example, one of the larger pieces I had on display was an illustration from a year or two ago of a breakfast table with boiled eggs. This felt so sunny to me, and I love the feeling of having the day ahead of you with a delish brekkie. So, for me, it made sense to have it in there.
You work across prints, posters, physical pieces and animation. Do you approach each medium differently or does it all come from the same creative process?
In a way, they do come from similar origins. For static pieces, I begin the process by sketching thumbnails and different designs. For animation, I similarly make thumbnails but in sequences as storyboard roughs or animatics. It saves a lot of time in the long run and helps form the idea fully, being able to sketch it out in the beginning and not spend too long brain-dumping ideas. It also really helps stop you from being too precious about concepts and allows flexibility for other ideas to be made that may be better than the first thing you think of.
Why did Hop Hideout feel like the right place to host Joy?
I had worked with Hop Hideout and Jules, who owns it, for the last several years, and we have always had a similar mindset and ambition in both of our businesses. So, when we come together to work on something, it has always been great. It was initially Jules’ idea to do something together to kick off Tramlines weekend, which is how the exhibition came about! We didn’t want it to be too pretentious, which is not either of our vibes at all. We wanted it to be casual and relaxed but full of personality and good work. We knew how we could present the pieces in the venue and some of the fun ideas, like the CRT TV, that we could add in.
Has putting together your first solo exhibition changed how you think about your own work?
It has in a few ways. For one, the new work I created for the exhibition, including merch and branding – which is my background – made me think about my work in another context that was really fun to make. Then, also, I made a small number of original paintings for sale, which I very rarely do. They were received really well and this definitely encouraged me to do more like this again.
What advice do you have for any aspiring creatives who might be reading this interview?
If you have an idea you want to pursue or a creative career you want to get into – completely go for it! This doesn’t mean quit your job straight away – realistically, there are so many creatives who are freelance who begin with part-time jobs or work around their full-time ones. There is a little dream of mine that I would love to happen, but I have been working on it for the last year or two. Many things take time and don’t happen even the first few times you give them a go. You have to have a bit of delusion that literally whatever you’re working towards will happen, as it keeps driving you. Even if you don’t get it, you will get something more than if you didn’t try.
Joy is available to view at Hop Hideout until 30 September. Free entry but be sure to enjoy a delicious craft beverage while you’re there.
