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Alumni Interviews

Adam Koukoudakis

Artist

What have you been up to since leaving UAL?

Quite fortunately for me, right when I left CSM I sold a few pieces of work to a gallery that I had been keeping an eye on. I walked into the gallery, waited for the owner to get off the phone, and then spoke with him directly about my work. At that time my work was quite political and quite ‘street’-- very edgy, but there was a big following of that type of art. He attended the Degree Show at CSM to view my work. He ended up making an offer on a piece that was more money than I had ever seen before. He asked for another apiece to exhibit in a group show. After the group show, I was inundated with emails and demands for my work. It was quite lucky: shortly after selling some of the work and making some money, a friend of mine approached me about wanting to open a studio together in north London. I began selling more work, receiving invites to exhibit my work in places like Los Angeles, California, Bristol, and Palestine. I was able to meet lots of artists that I admired and had written about in my thesis. I was invited to be a part of auctions and gallery exhibitions.

Last June, I took my first holiday in two years and came back different. I realized the work I was creating was soulless and flat. I had been suckered into a conveyer belt of commercial work and wanted to take some distance and not comprise my artistic integrity. I began to rethink my practice, direction and find out what was most important. I started building a new body of work and took my eye off the sale of my work. I am looking like more of a typical graduate: working a part time job as a framer or doing restoration work for galleries while I focus on my career. I have been in my studio for about 2.5 years now and about 2 of those years as a self employed artist. I mainly work with some smaller galleries and think about my career more as a marathon than a sprint. For example, I would rather not sell work for 10-15 years in order to produce work I can stand by and be proud of.

Did you feel prepared when you graduated? If not, was there anything else you wish you’d done, any opportunities you wish you’d seized?

I wish I had met more successful working artists in a more intimate environment, not just in seminars. I went to Clem Crosby’s studio, I’ll never forget that. He was a well-spoken chap who was very approachable and to see his studio was amazing. I wish I had more chances to meet artists who are successful, to see life from in their shoes, to see what they had to do to be successful and just real life as an artist.

What would you say are the skills that have made you as successful as you are now?

I have a two prong approach for my work: my artistic sense and my business sense. My artistic strength, what got the ball rolling in the first place, was the piece that I sold right after graduation, which was done with a technique of painting I developed. It is a hand- done, screen print style using CMYK. This helps me stand out. Now that I have my technique down, I just need to formulate a plan from the paintings and my open-minded approach to my work.

On the business side, I try not to worry about what people think about my work and how they want to categorize me. I think it’s good to be approachable and be able to talk about other things than art. Also to be sincere about your interest in the people who come to your studio to look at your work, see them as a person without just trying to sell your art work.

What, if anything, would you do differently?

I think I may have stopped and thought about the consequences of my actions, and think further into the future of my work and how proud I was of the work I was currently making. Also, maybe limiting the amount of work I did. Not being so greedy. It’s hard not to be greedy when you have rent to pay, groceries to buy, and have never seen that amount of money. It’s really hard to turn down the money and it’s quite a nice feeling to listen to people talk about your work. I got caught up in the moment, in my ego, and recognition. But I don’t have too many regrets. Sometimes you have to takes some risks to realize those aren’t the right ones.

What would be your advice to a student graduating now?

Same advice I was given at CSM: get on with your work. Strike out when the time is right for you and don’t just get involved with the first gallery or buyer that approaches you. It’s important not to underestimate yourself, your work and your potential. Always keep in mind what it is you actually want to achieve and end up doing. Keep in mind your long term plan; as a fine artist you have to plan for it. What you do now can effect what you are able to do later.