Voices of Creativity
Hear the artist share her journey, challenges, and definitions of success
Helia Mey
Helia Mey is a French artist born in 1999. Her artistic journey, influenced by her experiences with diverse cultures, led her to Liguria, Italy—a place she defines as her "home" and a space where art and mysticism converge. At 25, she discovered a new family reality, uncovering a hidden heritage and embracing new origins. This profound shift deepened her connection to her roots, extending to the Kabyle territory. Mey’s work has always been marked by an inherent interculturality, refusing to be confined by technique, medium, or theme. Her art reflects her embrace of diverse causes and epochs, and her exploration of identity as a woman has granted her the confidence to stand as an artist of disorder and borders, constantly evolving and redefining herself.
Helia Mey: An Artistic Journey of Liberation and Reflection
The Road to Self-Expression
Helia's early life was rooted in academia. She pursued law and philosophy, achieving her license, though she always felt that her place was not within the conventional walls of the university. A pivotal moment arrived at 22 when a serious accident altered her course. This life-altering event became the catalyst for her to break free from societal expectations and explore her true calling. It was a chance to start over, free from judgment, and with the courage to follow her inner path.
Her decision to move toward art was not just a career shift; it was a commitment to authenticity. While she had already been creating art, she now chose to make it meaningful beyond herself. Helia recognized that her work could carry significant emotional and philosophical weight, transcending mere self-expression to touch on deeper human experiences.
Overcoming Doubts of Legitimacy
One of the greatest challenges Helia faced was the question of artistic legitimacy—a common struggle for many artists, but one she met with unique resilience. Her journey through a series of "mental shocks" over time led to a profound realization: life is unpredictable, and there are no limits to what can be undertaken. This understanding, alongside her philosophical exploration, reinforced her belief that her work had intrinsic meaning, grounded in powerful emotions.
Her philosophical background, particularly in the realms of consciousness and human experience, has provided her with the tools to articulate her art and its deeper significance. It also allowed her to remain confident in her approach, despite the frequent questioning of her legitimacy in the art world.
The Power of Interdisciplinarity
Helia's proudest moment as an artist came when she fully embraced her scattered identity, moving away from the desire to categorize her artistic practices. In the early stages of her career, she had attempted to compartmentalize her works—photographic, drawing, or painting. However, she soon realized that this fragmented approach no longer served her. Helia does not see herself as a technician of her craft but as someone who uses art as a tool for self-expression. She confidently identifies as an artist of disorder and dispersion, finding strength in interdisciplinarity as the truest reflection of human experience.
The Evolution of Her Artistic Voice
Helia’s artistic style has continuously evolved over the years, with her earliest work, "Resilience," starting in 2013 when she was only 13 years old. Her practice began with automatic drawing—a technique that remains central to her work today. As her career progressed, Helia learned to interpret and tame these automatons, allowing them to evolve into more conscious creative choices. However, the core of her art still rests on this spontaneous, subconscious foundation.
Her photography practice has also developed over time. Initially focusing on social issues captured through street photography, she has transitioned into an abstract approach. In her recent works, Helia uses photography to explore the layers of reality, merging subjective perception with the objective world. Her art constantly challenges the boundaries between the intimate and the collective, the conscious and the unconscious.
Embracing Setbacks and Uncertainty
Like many artists, Helia has faced setbacks, but she views these as opportunities for growth rather than failures. Her adaptability and philosophical outlook allow her to remain serene and positive in the face of challenges. To her, the right situations always arise at the right time, and it is a matter of identifying and embracing them.
Her advice to emerging artists is simple but powerful: certainty in the emotions that drive creative work is key. Spontaneity, authenticity, and the freedom to innovate within one's comfort zone are essential for attracting the right audience. She encourages fellow artists to trust that they can explore any direction, as there is no such thing as failure in creative pursuits.
Finding Support and Inspiration
A significant source of inspiration for Helia has been her brother, who profoundly influenced her understanding of herself as both a woman and an artist. Her brother, who battled schizophrenia, opened Helia's eyes to the complexities of reality and perception. Though the illness brought significant struggles, it also deepened her understanding of the human condition and enriched her artistic perspective. Following his death, Helia dedicated her work to exploring psychosis, seeking to raise awareness and challenge societal perceptions of mental illness.
Redefining Success
For Helia, success is not measured by accolades or market recognition but by her ability to convey deep emotions through her art. She defines success as the capacity to engage with the world in meaningful ways, to provoke thought, and to redefine human relationships through creative expression. As her journey continues, Helia remains committed to authenticity, embracing the ever-evolving nature of both her art and herself.
In essence, Helia Mey's work is not just about creating art—it is a profound exploration of life, reality, and identity. Through her diverse practices, she invites us all to question our own perceptions and to embrace the disorder and spontaneity that shape our experiences.
Helia Mey is an artist whose work is deeply rooted in intercultural exploration. She embraces a multifaceted approach, incorporating painting, photography, and sculpture, which form the core of her identity as an artist. Rejecting a singular creative method, Mey draws from various forms of artistic expression, allowing her work to evolve freely.
Butterfly
Mixed media , 39"x21"
Her practice is grounded in a phenomenological perspective, blending the understanding of human artifacts with the raw experience of the world around her. While her paintings, created automatically and instinctively, express her innermost intimacy, her photographs explore collective consciousness and perception. Influenced by her philosophical and legal training, as well as her personal connection to mental illness, she addresses the theme of "perception of reality" through her art.
Mey’s photography is an exploration of the contrast between subjective experience and collective perception. She captures moments where conscious and unconscious, intimate and collective perspectives converge, inviting the observer to experience a metamorphosis of reality. Through her work, she suggests the transformative power of perception, sometimes leading to the exploration of fantasies and the edges of psychosis.