We asked Des Skordilis, our latest #ConnectedByLemonade artist, to discuss how the unbelievable upheaval of the past year has affected their creative process.
“The pandemic has changed a lot of things. It’s unprecedented and unescapable… I found myself in a four-month long lockdown in Melbourne, Australia. Sometimes it was really monotonous but I had a lot more time to slow down, reflect, and create.
I experimented with lots of different mediums during lockdown. I lived down the road from an art supplies store that was still open. I’d bike there every day and purchase art supplies to keep me occupied during the long days.
I purchased a scroll saw and taught myself to create wooden sculptures. I painted and drew for hours on end in my little flat. I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to create this much if life had been as normal.
Luckily I had a few commissions to keep me busy. I created one commission for a project at the Institute of Modern Art that aimed to provide artists with income when the pandemic first hit. My piece captured the domestic intimacy of lockdown and the silver lining of living in a lucky country. I stayed home, baked sourdough, tended to my garden, and most importantly created more art than ever before.
I like to believe the pandemic gave birth to countless artists around the world. We were physically distant from one another but the weight of living through this time brought us together, metaphysically.
Since the pandemic started, we’re all a little more fragile and have become more dependent on the arts and creativity to process the chaos and disorder of Covid-19.”
For more of Des Skordilis’s work, follow them on Instagram! And if you’re stuck at home with some time on your hands — and tired of baking sourdough — check out some of the great art, design, and creativity content at #FF0083.
