We had the good fortune of connecting with Hellenne Vermillion and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hellenne, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
It was not a choice to pursue an artistic career for me. It seems to be something that I was born with and destined to do. I avoided being an artist for a long time and any job position I had lasted only two years. Off and on I “dabbled” trying to make a living with my artwork, and I tried shows and festivals and more. However, what I came to realize is that I wanted to create according to my rules and beliefs and not create to make money or receive acceptance and notoriety. Therefore I chose teaching to bring in the income and let myself the freedom of creating according to me. On the other hand, inspiring and teaching people to be creative has many rewards..

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I work mostly with clay now. I’ve been working on being inspired by pre=historic Japanese Jomon pottery, being something quite unique in the world and with me being half-Japanese and having grown up in Japan I feel a kinship with. Another object I enjoy making are spirit masks. It’s been a work in progress since 40 years ago when my then cat inspired me. Masks intrigue me and I can’t seem to grasp in what direction I’m taking it to, so at the moment it’s all over the place. Some are mixed media with lots of silk that I dye painted on them with added fibers. I think I’m trying to capture some sort of “spirit” to be expressed in these, but my gut says I’m not there yet. I thoroughly enjoy freely sculpting with clay and let the design and creativity just flow. Nothing really pre-conceived.
I’ve tried shows and festivals and other venues to show and sell my work, but in the end it’s too tiring and time consuming. So instead of making money from selling my work, I teach for the income and create for myself.
Today what I create is personal and not meant to “wow the world” or something similar. If I inspire others or they like my work, that’s a bonus. I create for me. It’s like I”m pregnant with these creations that need to be birthed.
Another work I enjoy doing is outdoor installations. I’ve done about five so far using clay pieces, and incorporating my work with the environment has been challenging but very satisfying.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a difficult question because nowadays I live like a hermit and don’t go out anymore except to teach or for essentials. When I’m out at an event, although it’s interesting and fun to chat with people, I just want to be home to create. However, if I had a friend come visit, I guess it would depend on that person’s interests as to what I’d show them. As a former tour guide, I’d feel compelled to show them the best time according to their interests. Personally, I don’t find Atlanta that exciting. It’s a comfortable place to live now that I’m at an advanced age and I’ve gotten used to living here. I grew up in Tokyo and the energy there is much more interesting and more things to see and do compared to Atlanta. My daughter lives in Brooklyn, NY, so I find interesting places to see there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Making art was something I did on my own without encouragement from family. In fact, there was never any conversation about it in my family. My parents left me alone and I was fortunate to have close by a store that sold art supplies. Creating was just something I did naturally, like breathing. My earliest recollection is probably when I was three and drew with a ball point pen. In school I would receive compliments or asked to be in charge of a project but because I felt insecure about my skill, I would feel uncomfortable but complete the task. Later on, after so many compliments from teachers and fellow students, I wondered why people liked what I drew or made even though personally I felt I lacked any skills. Perhaps there was something I was able to access and project onto my artwork. There was no mentor, no person or group. It was just me trying to figure out why people liked what I made. I couldn’t stop creating whether it was at home or doodling in class. I wasn’t thinking of art as a career back then, and never pursued it as a career until I was in college. By chance I was watching a show on TV and the female character was sculpting and I suddenly had a tremendous urge to sculpt. I enrolled in art classes at Georgia State University thinking I’d go into graphic art, but after taking a class in hand building clay, I was hooked. This is the medium I wanted to work in. However, keep in mind that college did not teach me how to make a living with my art, so years of floundering ensued.

Website: https://www.hellenne-vermillion.com

Instagram: @Hellenne.vermillion

Image Credits
all photos by the artist, Hellenne Vermillion

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