Arts / Street Art
Artist of the month: Javi Tanke
Javi Tanke is from Madrid and lives in north-west Bristol. An artist mostly working with printed media, they’re now based in the Spike Island studio and held a month-long exhibition called #nobinary in Glitch for Pride.
The piece for sale exclusively from Bristol24/7 and Hidden is from this exhibition. Alexa & the Bat portraits A Clockwork Orange‘s Alex Delarge and Batman as a lesbian couple. The exhibition’s aim was to explore the sexuality of cultural figures, stereotypes and pop icons.
“It is a piece I enjoyed making because both characters are intrinsically masculine and violent, but both have other more relatable sides too which I wanted to explore,” explains Javi.
is needed now More than ever
The exclusive artwork available through Hidden Gallery and Bristol24/7
The print was originally created for the set of Camerawomen, and independent film directed by local filmmaker Glen Pearson.
Despite now residing in Bristol, Javi spent most of their adult life in Hong Kong.
“I developed my design career after moving there,” says Javi. “I became this mix of edgy design and businessperson, art director, working for big names. Travelling around the world for work, understanding both ends of society first hand, has inspired me and shocked me at the same time.
“It was then I started to think as graphic art and street art culture as a media outlet for my creativity. After settling in Bristol, I started screen-printing at Spike Island and immediately fell in love with it.”
Javi’s work reimagines pop culture through a queer lens
Highlights of Javi’s career so far include receiving awards, having tapestries hung in El Prado museum and creating scenography for prestigious design salons,
Looking to the future, Javi is exploring the use of 3D printing to create sculptures and is exploring new topics. For now, they’re settled in Bristol and will continue to create at Spike Island.
“After deciding to leave Hong Kong we decided the UK will be a good place given the language and culture was accessible for us,” says Javi.
“I only had an idea of Bristol formed mainly by music, trip hop, drum and bass, jungle, and of street art. People we asked said it is the best place to live in England, so we came to visit and experience it ourselves.
“We were sold almost immediately and moved here in 2017, I love this place.”
Buy a limited edition giclee print of Alexa & the Bat at: www.b247.squarespace.com/artist-of-the-month-september-2019. 50 per cent of proceeds will go towards Better Bristol.
Read more: Preview: #nobinary, Glitch
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