10 Questions with Amelie Dickerson

Amélie Dickerson was born in Congo and raised in the South of France. She came of age as an artist in Paris while pursuing a degree in Fashion Design. Life brought her to the United States.

Her mother was also a painter, Amélie painted her first oil piece—a landscape within her grandmother’s house—at 10 years old. Since then, she has painted hundreds of canvases, walls, clothes, furniture, and collages. No matter the medium, color, contrast, movement, and emotion permeate her work.

Her work is in private collections across Europe, the United States, and Japan, and she has been featured in the ESP Gallery, in New York, Spruill Art Gallery, Mint Gallery, and Museum of Contemporary Art Georgia in Atlanta.

She has created some Public Artworks for the city of Atlanta, a mural for the P.A.L Center, and a customization for the playground of The Reverend James Orange Park.

www.byamelieart.com | @byamelieart

ARTIST STATEMENT

“I paint to bring light to people. Bold lines and vibrant colors collide in my work to convey emotion - whether I am capturing the hidden spirit in a portrait or pure, raw feeling in an abstract.

Personality powers my work: my own and my need to connect with those around me. The colors of the Congo, the rhythms of Paris, and the soul of the South all influence my perspective, and I never allow myself to be restricted by the medium. From acrylic to epoxy, canvas to clothes to collages, I let my art land wherever it chooses, using whatever it commands.

Since coming to the South of the United States, my work pulses with themes of freedom, femininity, empowerment, social justice, and even heat and humidity. Bright pigmentation and colliding structures permeate my painting because that is who I am, and that is what I see: vibrancy and contrast.“- Amelie Dickerson

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you, and how did you start experimenting with images?

Bonjour, I am Amelie Dickerson, a world-wide artist. I was born in Congo, Africa, and raised in the South of France. Since I was young, I experimented with colors and painted various mediums of expression. 
I mixed a lot of different techniques together: oil, acrylic, textile, papers, oil pastels, etc… I created my own palette and dimension.

Your mother was a painter, and you started painting at a young age, before turning to fashion design. What inspired you to reconnect with painting?

Creating is in our blood, from my grandma, to my mom. I never disconnect from Art. I took time away to master other skills and experiment with life, but I always knew I would use those skills and experiences to enhance my painting, to create something brilliant.

How would you define yourself as an artist today?

I would consider myself a mixed media artivist, as I do not limit my painting to the canvas only. Nor the canvas to only be painted! I am committed to inspiring through colors, and to creating a bright future for our people, and our planet through the healing power of Art.

Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What is your artistic routine when working?

Usually, I need to absorb fully my muse, then the inspiration forms, and I creatively translate it into my work.
Sometimes it is pure improvisation. I free my mind and let my imagination takes control of the art process. 

In your statement you say, "The colors of the Congo, rhythms of Paris, and soul of South all influence my perspective, I never allow myself to be restricted by the medium." How do you incorporate and balance such different influences into your work? 

I am a melting pot from scratch, all those different influences build my character. I do not look for balance but for vibrancy, expression, and contrast.

What messages do you want to convey with your paintings?

Freedom, femininity, love, consciousness, social justice and an overall feel of commUnity. We are one, we are ALL human beings and deserve to be treated equally.

How do you differentiate your work from the rest? In other words, what do you feel makes it unique and truly your own?

I feel the prism that my work shines in a unique way. Different angles of view, multiple layers of interpretations, some colors blend while others clash and it's in this rhythm that my art is expressed. 
I have a mission even bigger than me. I would like to develop Art programs for foster houses and youth detention centers in the US. Then, create some Art schools in Africa. 

Do you find that the shift to digital exhibitions and art fairs has helped you promote your work?

Yes, it did in a certain way. You still have to work and feed your dream in person daily!
At my heart, I am a purist artist. But I love to see the expansion, the evolution of Art into other mediums of expression. There is room for everybody!

What do you think about the art community and market?

I believe there are a lot of areas in the art community that I have not explored yet. Now I feel the market has the potential, with digital and original ideas, to make new legends in art.

Finally, any projects you are looking forward to for this year?

I will exhibit an art piece at the Museum of Science+Industry in Chicago for their Black Creativity exhibition in January 2023. It is the first time for my work to be exhibited in a museum. I am very thankful.
I look forward to having my first solo exhibition next year. I can't wait to let people see the new ideas I have been working on.