Mimi North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

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Hi! I'm Mimi, I am a multidisciplinary artist who specialises in large scale abstract paintings, digital portraiture, printmaking and photography. I run NI Studios based in Leeds Corn Exchange. My role at Ni Studios is creating all the artwork we sell in store or online, creating bespoke work and keeping a good rapport with our customers.

Suffering with ill mental and physical health for the majority of her life, Mimi has always used art as a cathartic release of her emotions. The basis of her oeuvre has been to make the invisible a tangible entity, in which she can acknowledge, and then move on from.

Tracey Emin said 'I'm fighting on the canvas trying to find out where I am...A lot of young people think that being an artist is making something beautiful. But the most beautiful thing is honesty, even if it is uncomfortable or painful to look at'.

Mimi believes that this perfectly encapsulates her art; there is no barrier between her and her creations. They are the ugly truth.

Considering herself a 'closed book' in her personal life, her art lets her be transparent with her emotions. Mimi has given multiple Artist Talks, specifically on creating to soothe your mental health and how to continue creating whilst suffering with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome & Fibromyalgia.

Mimi also volunteered as an Art Therapist at a Hostel in York over the summer of 2022.

Mimi's biggest inspiration and constant muse is her younger sister. It's said that of two sisters, one is the dancer, and one is the watcher. Mimi considers herself the watcher, encapsulating the love and beauty of her sister for eternity.

A running theme throughout Mimi's work is the societal downfall of being a woman, and reclaiming your femininity, power and confidence.

She states that she signposts her sister in the eyes of these pieces, as if she is speaking directly to her.

Mimi has been creating her entire life, and doesn't intend on ever stopping. Jumping around in different medias as a multi-disciplinary artist, there will always be something to keep her interested.

She states; 'As long as I am alive, I will have something to paint about. I think that's the only way I'll ever be able to cope. I've tried therapy, pills, booze... all the things they warn you not to. For me, none of it sticks, and none of it works. I think for me, painting is what keeps me alive, and what might actually make living bearable again".

Mimi has achieved a BA Hons in Graphic Arts, and most recently completed an MA in Fine Art with distinction. She ran Ni Studios in York for a little over two years, leaving to start a new venture in The Corn Exchange in January 2023, just before her 24th birthday.