to Illustrate is to Illuminate

Maria Magdalena Campbell discusses her life as an artist and the story behind some of her most revered works

Maria Magdalena Campbell is an artist and illustrator at heart. She opened up to us, revealing her inspirations, her creative processes, her artworks, and her plans for the future. From drawing inspiration from the beauty of South Africa, to taking her art overseas, Magdalena is ready to take the world of art by storm.

Maria Magdalena Campbell lives and breathes art. Currently living and working in Cape Town, she and her husband plan to take a leap and move abroad for a few months every year on an international inspiration sabbatical. Up next on their list is living the Balinese lifestyle, and perhaps attending an artist residency in Champagne, France.

Art has been part of Magdalena’s life since her earliest memories of childhood, and all the carefree expression that came with it. Her artistic journey thus far, she says, has been more than just a little bit surprising. Magdalena notes that being a full-time artist is an adventure, and one that can be nerve-wracking, challenging, and intensely rewarding, all in one day. Through her life’s work, Magdalena explains that her “goal is to find the courage and the audacity to dare to lead an extraordinary existence.”

“It never occurred to me to be a full-time artist while I was growing up. I always focused on so-called ‘real jobs’,” says Magdalena, who, like anyone, craves stability and security. “I have always been a super independent, highly ambitious, and hardworking woman that thrived academically in science, languages, mathematics, and, strangely enough, accounting. Art was just something I desperately enjoyed. Any form of art: acting, singing, writing, drawing, designing, ceramics, photography, or painting. You name it, I have explored it. My soul has simply always been drawn to the arts.”

“My goal is to find the courage and the audacity to dare to lead an extraordinary existence.”

When it comes to inspiration, it varies with the artist’s mood. She enjoys nature, music, and poetry. Magdalena explains, “My soul sings in nature and I am often moved to tears by music or poetry. I am a highly sensitive, emotional being, which is something that translates very beautifully into my designs and artworks. I am very inspired by people, their journeys, and their emotions, especially those of women.”

Magdalena works on designs for brands, creates personal works for exhibitions, and fashions custom original artworks for private clients. She was chosen as one of Africa’s Emerging Creatives at the International Design Indaba, which greatly aided the development of her career as an artist. She notes that one of her most memorable days as an artist was both funny and shocking, and took place during an exhibition launch in Berlin. “The best-selling item at this exhibition was crotchless pants. The fashion in Berlin had me realising just how conservative South Africa is. I adored how free they all were; how expressive and daring. It’s probably my favourite city of all time, besides Cape Town,” she says.

When it comes to illustration, Magdalena says that the “biggest misconception about illustration is that it is comic books or exclusively digital. Illustration is just like any form of art; there are limitless ways of creating it.” When it comes to her artwork, she says: “All of my ranges have stories behind them and each piece has been created with the utmost care”. When it comes to the creative process, it can take months or even years before reaching the point of completion. “The drawing part is usually the least time consuming in the overall process. The concept takes the longest, then the reference material research or photoshoots, and after that comes the actual drawings. The process shoots, professional scans, written components, and styled shoots follow after, and the list of necessary steps and processes continues.”

Magdalena’s works have a recurring South African theme. She depicts the beauty of the country and its people. African Queen is the title of her planned upcoming exhibition. “My hope is to create beautiful African portraits celebrating the fiercely-beautiful women in this country in the Afrobubblegum style,” says Magdalena, “where the aim is to steer clear of the usual “Hopeless Africa” narrative and offer an alternative of strength, beauty, and joy.”

For more information on her upcoming exhibitions and her works in general, visit www.mariamagdalena.co.za.