Art Shed Featured Artist - Juzpop Creations

Tell us a bit about who you are, and what kind of work you do

I'm Juz or Justine from Juzpop Creations. At the moment, I'm mostly just doing murals around Melbourne. Earlier in the year we were in Mexico painting murals around there, Mexico City and Oaxaca, and prior to that I was doing a lot of canvas work but, yeah, predominantly murals is my practice at the moment.

Tell us about Mexico

Mexico. My partner and I, partner Mark, we both quit our jobs and we just packed up and went to Mexico, three months. We got a plane, didn't know any Spanish, didn't know anyone and we just kind of exchanged murals for accommodation and that lasted about three months and we also ended up doing an artist residency which was amazing, yeah, and then we just... I don't know why we came back I think it was more of an easy thing. It was amazing over there.

Where are you based?

We move around a lot 'cause we kind of move between house-sits so, we get to enjoy different areas around Melbourne and we get a lot of work sort of in the city around Prahran, St Kilda. We just got a studio in St Kilda so, we'll be probably doing a lot more work over there.

How has your work changed over time?

I don't-- When I was doing canvas work I guess that was a lot more just, I painted whatever I felt like but now that we have actual paying clients there are lot of briefs that we get to work with but I really enjoy working to a brief as well 'cause it's like a challenge and I kind of expand my horizons and yeah, that's probably how it's changed.

What is your favourite medium to work with?

Probably ink? Yeah, I think that's what I miss the most about... 'cause I can't use ink on a mural, obviously but, yeah, I miss ink because you get these, like, black lines that you just don't, like, so looking fluid you don't get that with, like, just acrylic and a brush.

What's one thing in your artists tool kit you couldn't live without?

Paint? Yeah, the paint.

If you were a tube of paint what colour would you be?

Can I be two? Pink and blue. You'll probably notice after this that most of my work is in pink and blue but lots of different shades so you don't really notice.

What is the hardest thing you have experienced as an artist?

Definitely in the beginning treating my creative practice as a business but my partner, Mark, has helped me hugely in marketing and, like, branding side of things and helping me see that marketing and all that stuff isn't a negative thing and that can actually be creative in itself.

Any artists you look to for inspiration?

Ellen von Unwerth, it's, like real erotic femininity photography like, quite similar to this sorta stuff edgy, has a bit more rock, you know? Nadia Lee Cohen, just like really weird, surreal but beautiful aesthetics in her work and Mike Perry, the illustrator in New York he's just, like, fluorescent colors and crazy shapes and none of it makes sense and it's awesome, yeah.

Where can we see your work?

My website, juzpop.com 

Instagram and Facebook, juzpopcreations J-Z-P-O-P creations. Yeah, Instagram's probably the best platform. Keep an eye out for our walls around Melbourne!