Artist Spotlight - Sandra Wallin
Originally from Finland, born in 1994, Sandra Wallin known as Sandy Bee, grows up in the heart of the Finnish archipelago in an environment where the culture and art are strongly highlighted. After graduating in 2014, she moved to Paris to study Textile Design at Olivier de Serres ENSAAMA. It's here that her interest in painting will spring to life under the supervision and advice of her teachers. After her BA in Textiles, she decides to devote all her time to painting. Self-taught, she starts to experiment and create artworks in her studio in the outskirts of Paris. Sandy’s primary objective is to highlight hidden messages in our society, our lives and our environment. Her paintings consist of many colours and various shapes, creating a playground where she is free to explore symbols and codes.
What’s your background? I come from a small city in the heart of the Finnish archipelago. I grow up in a culture that highlighted art and culture and we often went to art exhibitions and theater with my family when I was a kid. I watched my mother sew and I went to a handicraft school myself when I was a little older.
What does art mean to you? With art you express something impossible to put down in words.
How did you start making art/Why do you make art? It happened by accident, really. At the beginning I wanted to study Fashion Design but due to my doubtable French skills, I ended up studying Textile Design in Paris instead. I quickly understood that Textile wasn´t really for me but we had several art classes at school. I quickly discovered that I should start to paint instead, because it gave me good energy and helped me to cope with everyday tasks, emotions and situations silently. What inspires you? What are your biggest influences? The Parisian streets and the metro inspire me. My biggest sources of inspiration are Keith Haring, Jean Dubuffet, Banksy and David Hockney.
What’s the best thing about being an artist? Freedom!
What is your dream project/collaboration? My dream is to have my own solo art exhibition at Centre Pompidou in Paris while I´m still alive. I want to start a new ism (sandyism) and produce more drawings and paintings than Picasso.
How has your practice changed over time? I have always loved to sing but when I moved to Paris I always needed to check the time to be able to sing in the shower. Therefore it wasn´t fun anymore and I needed to find another way to express myself and my feelings. Painting became a silent way of expressing myself. Firstly, I painted crying flowers with running, wet paint. Slowly my style changed and became more controlled and lines started to appear on my portraits. I painted and drew more and I understood by going to many different exhibitions that there aren´t any rules in art. Keeping that in mind and painting without any rules, my new style (which I named to sandyism) was born.
You can find Sandra's work available on our art shop!