Mixed Media Artist Hanoch Piven in this Domestika Diary
The Jaffa-based mixed media artist shows us his studio and shares a peek into his creative process
Even though many of us tend to imagine layered pieces of paper when we think of collage, that doesn’t mean this creative technique has to be flat.
Hanoch Piven (@piven) is a mixed media artist best known for his creative portraits, which use three dimensional objects such as toys to suggest the features of different figures. His “collage with everyday objects” approach has won him numerous awards, such as a Gold Medal from The Society of Illustrators of New York, and his work has appeared in publications like Time, Newsweek, and Rolling Stone.
In this Domestika Diary, he shows us around his studio, shares the process behind one of his published pieces, and demonstrates all the creative possibilities you can enjoy with just a few objects and a piece of paper.
“The fun part of my studio is the boxes and boxes of objects that I have here,” Piven says, opening and showing off drawers crammed with items separated into themes like sports, games, nature, and body parts.
While his collages are analog, Piven often begins his commissions using the computer. Creating a digital sketch based on reference images, once his concept gets client approval he can transfer his faceless image to paper using gouache. From there he plays with objects and arrangements, enjoying hands-on experimentation and taking photos of various options which he can then review and adjust using Photoshop. This playful process allows him to experiment with different creative combinations, creating portraits that are recognizable while still offering an element of the unexpected.
If you enjoyed this Domestika Diary and would like to discover more about how to use a playful process to unleash and expand your creativity, check out Hanoch Piven's online course Creativity Face to Face: A Playful Collage Journey.
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