Abby Rogers is an interdisciplinary artist born and based in Glasgow. She is devoted to a practice that combines illustration, installation, and film. Her work is rooted in storytelling and anthropomorphism and is fuelled by their passion for global issues, including human and environmental rights, shaping the themes and messages she explores through her art. Using imaginative characters, landscapes, and narratives, Abby depicts reality as she feels it, not as it truly appears, distorting and creating new worlds that reflect her innermost thoughts and emotions, using materials not only as a means of making but also as a force to push the message her work carries. Her ability to tap into different mediums allows her to communicate across multiple platforms to audiences and through various environments and means. Her process is intuitive and impassioned, embracing ambiguity and a surrealist approach, inviting viewers to explore a new world of imagination and visual metaphors.

Thanks for being with us, Abby! Tell us how you found yourself at art school?
Art has always been my comfort. I hadn’t considered it as a possible career or something I could pursue in further education after secondary school until mid-COVID. I decided to follow my passion for the arts without a clear career in mind and trusted that, by following what brings me joy, I could find a future that felt fulfilling and purposeful. Simply having a space to focus on art made me realise how important being creative is to me. Before my 5th year in secondary school art was only really a class I enjoyed and something I did in my free time. Using my last years in secondary school and then dedicating four years of further education to exploring art showed me that this is what I want to do with my life.

What is your earliest memory of being interested in art?
Staying inside at lunch to paint, watching YouTube drawing tutorials for my favourite cartoon characters, and going to museums to fill sketchbooks; art has always been present in my memories. Like most children, I particularly loved animation. Even now, I have a special love for animation and can vividly remember watching The Lion King, Spirited Away, and more classics for the first time. Now, I love to learn about animation and even make my own.

How do you overcome creative blocks?
Since I will no longer have the art school’s back-to-back projects to rely on this coming year after graduating, I have been thinking about how to overcome creative blocks more often. A rather obvious tool that works best for me is my sketchbook. The small sketchbook I take with me everywhere holds project ideas, notes, experiments, illustrations and more. Starting a new full project from scratch can be daunting, and that alone can make me not want to work on anything. But having that small book not only gives me something to rely on and to remind myself of ideas, but also a place to quickly make a wee sketch to satisfy that creative urge. 

Now that you’ve finished your degree, what’s next for you?
Now that I have finished my degree, I have decided to see what is out there for me, exploring and embracing new opportunities. Currently I am volunteering at Project Ability, supporting young people with learning disabilities and mental health to create art, whilst furthering my own art skills and my small business ‘Little Stitious Studios’ where I table at markets and offer commissions.

Now that you’ve finished your degree, what’s next for you?
I’m looking forward to continuing to develop my practice and creating more work in the studio! I have a few exhibitions coming up, including one at the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh which I’m really excited about. I also enjoy sharing my creative process through video and online platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. From documenting the making of a piece to sharing the realities of being an artist, I enjoy giving people an insight into the journey behind my work and reaching a wider audience around the world. I hope to keep experimenting, building my portfolio and connecting with people through my work.

What is it like to be an emerging artist in today’s climate?
Being an emerging artist in today’s climate is scary, but I am hopeful. I am so grateful for my supportive family, who encourage me to try so many new things, and without them, I wouldn’t be in the position I am in to keep pursuing my art. Being an artist isn’t about earning a certain income or selling a certain number of pieces, nor is it about making it a full-time job. Instead, it’s about the mindset to keep creating in whatever way that is; whether it’s drawing in your free time, having a part-time art business, or just making something new now and then.

What advice would you give to someone just starting art school?
Art school is the chance to explore and find your individual passions. Try all of the new resources available to you, and use every opportunity to its fullest!

Find out more about Abby’s work on Instagram, and see her work in Starter Pack, our annual graduate showcase, running at Six Foot Gallery until Thursday the 27th of August.