Written by Jamie Paradis ’20.
In the middle of spirit week, the art department hosted the innovative artist and illusionist Alexa Meade.
Meade is known for her unique artwork in which she paints 2D patterns onto 3D objects, creating “the illusion of a world where 2D and 3D have become one.” Meade’s subjects and canvases are usually humans—that is, she paints directly on people to create her art.
Meade shared with the IB/Advanced Art students her story of how she became an artist from originally being set on a career path in politics, her sources of inspiration and creative process, and the nitty-gritty details of cleaning up after putting paint on everything in sight.
Since her incredible artwork went viral, Meade has collaborated with significant celebrities, including NA’s past visitor, Victoria Justice, and Ariana Grande for her “God Is a Woman” music video. She has also completed commissions with brands including Toyota, Mini-Cooper, and Ralph Lauren.
The art students were fascinated by Meade’s work and inspired by her creative approach. They also found relief in her message about finding your path in life: she had an entire plan figured out and was sure that she was going to go into politics, then with no previous expectation of doing so, she launched into a career as an artist and ended up making a living doing something that she was incredibly passionate about.
Her message to the students was that if there’s something that you love and that makes you happier than anything else, stick with it, because you could one day find a way to make it your life’s work. Also, if everybody else our age thinks that they have it all figured out, they probably don’t and their career will likely end up being completely different than what they have planned as of now; students do not need to feel bad if they don’t have a clear idea of what they’re going to do with their lives yet, that will come naturally with time.
For more of Alexa Meade’s work, check out her website or her Instagram.
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