Heliena Hagos

I’m Heliena, I’m a digital artist; I create experimental live animation & illustrations about the future & science. I grew up in London engaging in the vibrant creative scenes, with particular interest in counter-culture and underground scenes in UK/globally. I have focused on the arts since childhood, was raised in a family of people who grew up globally, and have enjoyed travelling since a young age. Recently I’ve started to explore futuristic ideas & aesthetics that combine my thoughts in a way I hope is new.

Q: WHAT WAS YOUR ROUTE TO YOUR CURRENT ARTISTIC PRACTICE?

I was a hobbyist artist from childhood with an interest in music, and science fiction. I had a typical traditional arts education in school in London, a stint as an Architectural design intern, and then I studied Animation at university. Animation was influential as it managed to be unfiltered/radical and seemed to evade scrutiny. I was a graphic designer/UI artist giving me some inside experience of commercial use of tech, design, and capital. It further prompted me to explore the exponential growth of tech/science in our lives, and utopias/dystopias. Real-time animation(and music event visuals) is a recent development that allowed me to merge all my influences with an element of experimentation. Moving forward I’d like to include more considerations about space or architecture in what I do.

Q: CAN YOU IDENTIFY ANY ELEMENTS OF YOUR COMMUNITY OR COLLABORATORS THAT HAVE HAD A STRONG INFLUENCE?

An example of community influence is the cultural impact of my relatives and listening to Jazz. Jazz’s mix of planned and improvisational is something I try to channel when I create real-time animation. It would be great to develop something like jazz animation. Growing up in a metropolis as a community has definitely informed my perspectives and style. The landscape of a fast-changing and dense, modern city has probably influenced my interest in speculating futures.

Q: HOW IS YOUR PROJECT TIED TO THE CIRCA X DAZED CLASS OF 20:21 THEME OF ‘COMMUNION’?

An example of community influence is the cultural impact of my relatives and listening to Jazz. Jazz’s mix of planned and improvisational is something I try to channel when I create real-time animation. It would be great to develop something like jazz animation. Growing up in a metropolis as a community has definitely informed my perspectives and style. The landscape of a fast-changing and dense, modern city has probably influenced my interest in speculating futures.

Q: HOW WOULD THE CIRCA PRIZE OF £30,000 IMPACT YOUR FUTURE PRACTICE?

An example of community influence is the cultural impact of my relatives and listening to Jazz. Jazz’s mix of planned and improvisational is something I try to channel when I create real-time animation. It would be great to develop something like jazz animation. Growing up in a metropolis as a community has definitely informed my perspectives and style. The landscape of a fast-changing and dense, modern city has probably influenced my interest in speculating futures.

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