After moving to Australia from South Africa in 2011, graffiti artist Adam Craemer rediscovered his passion for art and is now making waves on the international fine art scene. His distinctive mix of street style, portraiture and abstraction has won him broad-ranging accolades, from being named Western Australian Artist of the year at the RAW Art Awards, to being featured in British men’s style magazine, GQ.
Craemer often creates his portraits using a combination of photographs, stencil and spray paint, but his practice evolves as he discovers new media and techniques.
“I don’t really have any preferred media as my pieces are a combination of so many different types,” explains Craemer. “I am constantly changing the media types I’m using, so I think I’m evolving every few months. I find a new technique or medium, and just go with it to see the results. My style is quite spontaneous because of that.”
As artists have been ever since Palaeolithic humans first put pigment to rock, Craemer is inspired by the female form. By contrasting traditional beauty with street techniques, he creates a fresh perspective of a long-standing tradition.
“I love the female form, so my inspiration is just that. I also really enjoy the bright, vibrant colours of graffiti, so for me it was a natural fit to try and marry the two together; a combination of rough, urban grime fused with the lines and beauty of the female form.”
What does Adam Craemer love most about being an artist? Seeing art collectors’ joy at having something he worked on hanging in their homes. This year he is focusing on spreading that joy by exhibiting in the United States and Europe to connect with new audiences.
Browse and buy Adam Craemer’s original paintings on Bluethumb, Australia’s largest art marketplace, connecting collectors, art lovers and interior designers with emerging and established local artists.
**Online Author Freddy Grant is the PR & Communications Manager at Bluethumb.
