About Us
Our Creative Journey
We are Claire Wyldheart and Will Wright, two artists who have always had a passion for creating. Our artistic journey has been a lifelong exploration of the inner workings of our creative consciousness. From small sketches to large-scale projects, our work is a highly personal reflection of our inner selves and the way we view the world.
We have been fortunate enough to participate in many collaborative projects and exhibit our work, solidifying our reputation in the art industry. If you would like to learn more about our creative process, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
CLAIRE WYLDHEART
One of Claire's earliest memories involves making art. At around 18 months old (Claire is one of those people who can remember being a baby) her then 5 year old brother left his Crayola crayons and paper spread across the living room carpet, inviting tiny hands to investigate. Claire can still remember the feelings of joy and excitement she experienced when making colourful scribbles for the first time and how important it was to make her mark. This powerful impression never left Claire and most of her childhood was spent creating. As a small child she adored fuzzy felt which progressed into making her own collaged artwork from fabric scraps, wool, beads and buttons.
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She made many of the craft projects shown on the popular children's TV show, Blue Peter, as well as inventing her own art projects such as the time (with the help of her Dad's engineering) she made a fabric bird marionette, that walked, pecked and flapped it's wings! At primary school, Claire would often be invited to stand up in assembly and show and tell her drawings, paintings, collages, clay sculptures and sewing projects.
At the age of 4 the nursery's sand pit was carried into assembly because Claire had created a prehistoric, volcanic landscape in sand, complete with her own sculpted plasticine dinosaurs. Luckily for Claire, art was celebrated throughout the whole of her schooling and she enthusiastically threw herself into all things creative, from painting school drama sets to illustrating her High school magazine.
It was obvious that after a year at Art College, Claire would go on to study a BA (Hons) degree at Manchester Metropolitan University in Fashion, Textiles and Embroidery. It was the early 90's and. Acid House....Hacienda Being able too go to the famous club, after years spent collecting and listening to DJ mixtapes of early House and Dance classic tunes.
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As a young child, Claire was fascinated by the illustrations of Robert Lumley and Eric Winter, the 1960's/1970's illustrators for the Ladybird series of children's picture books. Both Lumley and Winter created realistic images with a medieval/fairytale aesthetic, combined with a horror/whimsical twist. This in particular, would inspire Claire's more recent artwork which includes The real Mr Punch, a....project.
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While living in Australia for 4 years, Claire wrote and illustrated her first picture book, I Have a Bear, for Brolly Books, Melbourne. It was a childhood premonition at 6 years old that drove Claire to pursue her dream of becoming a children's author and illustrator, and one that she continues to work towards, with new digital illustrations.
Claire's work has now branched into visionary art initially published within Wyrd zine, a publication born from global crisis and initiation.
WILL WRIGHT
Will grew up with the smell of printing ink, amongst reams of paper and used letraset, all part of his Dad's print business. He was exposed to the craft of typesetting and graphic design from a young age, applying these skills to his earliest creative endevours. The soundtrack of Kraftwerk, Gary Numan and The Specials, morphed into the Electro of Street Sounds albums and early Hip Hop culture. Picking up a spray can at eleven and adorning his bedroom, Will rocked his two tone grey Nike windjammer with pride.
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This was the golden age of the video rental store and the proliferation of VHS tapes, exposing the youth to 70s auteur films, sleazy international B movies and the 'Video Nasty'. The low fidelity colour bleed picture of a 6th generation copy of Zombie Flesh Eaters became indelibly seared into his brain. 2000AD and Fangoria were the essential reading of the day, making heroes out of Alan Moore, Brian Bolland, Tom Savini and John Carpenter. Copying panels of Judge Dredd or Rogue Trooper became a way to learn drawing, line work and shading in text book margins with a leaky biro.
Thatcherism rode high in the charts whilst London burnt at the start of the decade, by the end of which rebellious liberty had chosen a soundtrack of acid house, thrash metal and industrial noise. Will scratched a living model painting, leather jacket painting, designing posters, flyers and tattoos, picking up awards for tabletop games design and wargame figure painting along the way.
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As the times evolved Will's interests did too; beginning DJing in '89, filmmaking in '93 and a return to education in '95. He acquired his first tarot deck and set of runes at eighteen, taking him an magical journey led by a colourful peer group of punks, weirdos and misfits.
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Whilst studying film and video to Masters degree, Will continued DJing across London, at festivals and abroad, getting to play at; Ministry of Sound, Home, BugJam, Melkweg, Passing Clouds, Shamabala festival and countless more venues and soundsystems. He became primarily known for dropping breakbeat, dubstep and jungle under the monikers DJ Noise, Will Da Shaman and Rev Wright, Will ensured the crowd smashed the dance floor. (see DJ link below)
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His professional filmmaking, crammed with nods and references to a multitude of cult films, rock iconography and counter culture, has included directing music videos with notorious metal band Cradle of Filth, British action star Ed Skrein (Deadpool, Alita: Battle Angel) and a host of UK talent. Will’s current practice reflects his transition back to fine art, that results from a heavy influence of Northern European shamanism and contemporary philosophy. (see Director link below)
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The esoteric and spiritual has always been a fascination for Will and over the years he has studied and experienced various philosophies and techniques, that has led him to embracing of a reconstituted practice of Northern European shamanism. Will’s healing and trance practice now drives his creative process, along with his research into ancient history, that reveals a scared symbolic world view during the Neolithic period. Contemporary anthropology and modern archaeology have begun to bridge over 14,000 years of Homo Sapien art and culture that appears to be informed by prior Neanderthal practice. These revelations are embedded within a Neonlithic approach, that encompasses street art, art toys and other modern mediums. 21st Century wizard artifacts.
Will has a long history of direct action community arts projects, that share a goal of connecting artists, art and audience with an immediacy. Inspired by his growing ritualised raves in the late Nineties (Majestic 12), where counter cultural ideas are shared alongside underground dance music, through flyers and screenings, he produced Hardcopy (2004-05), a monthly A5 art zine, based in Colchester, the garrison town of Essex. In 2009, in response to the economic crisis, Will started Slack Space, a grassroots initiate to interrupt retail footfall with art, that manifest as pop up galleries, venues and events, engaging thousands of locals and supporting a multitude of artists, groups and activities until 2015. In 2012, a short lived two issue Art zine, 3 of Swords appeared, causing a stir, giving art away free and inspiring another generation to make it.