ALESSANDRA AKIWUMI
When did you first become interested in art? I’ve always liked creating imaginary worlds and making things with my hands and, I was lucky that my family encouraged me to express my creative side. I used to paint and draw after school and on the weekends but it was only until I made cyanotypes in school that my interest grew into something more serious. I think I was about 12 years old, and I remember seeing the image slowly come to life and being so amazed and fascinated with the process. From then on my heart was set on art. I took as many art classes as I could in school and I was always told to pick a more diverse range of subjects, but I was so convinced on art that I didn’t feel the need to. I went to as many exhibitions and museums as I could and began reading about some artists. I remember getting a book "13 Artists Children Should Know", I read that one very quickly! I continued to draw and paint and started to take photographs on a small digital camera before learning how to use a 35mm. How did you get to where you are today in your practice? After graduating from a liberal arts college in the States, I knew I wanted to get a masters in Fine Art. For me, it was a way to solidify my practice and also become more sure of myself as an artist. Even though I knew art was what I wanted to do quite early on, I still had to balance my time with other subjects. So I wanted to dedicate all my time to my practice and have structure to support my work and development. Moving to London definitely was the best thing for my
