Maser on art, design and how he cultivates his creative process

Known for his use of bold colours, pattern overlays and gestural forms, Maser has earned much respect professionally in the art world both at home and abroad. As we celebrate Audacious Art in this series with Jaguar, we talk to Maser about his creative process and output.

Maser’s graphic signature street art style is as thought-provoking as it is striking, with much of his work – such as his iconic red heart ‘Repeal’ mural, painted on Dublin’s Project Arts Centre – familiar to so many. Rightfully, he has earned a reputation as one of Ireland’s most respected artists producing work that moves and stays with the viewer for a long time.

Here the renowned creator shares where he finds his inspiration, why creativity is most powerful at 10am and how his son is influencing his latest work.

Where do you find inspiration?

General inspiration comes from experiences, taking stock of the moment. My surroundings usually have a big impact on my thought process and inspiration: the structure of the city, the layering of conversation, the order and chaos outside and inside our heads – nature too, but more importantly how it makes me feel when I’m in it.

Our thought process isn’t linear so that applies to inspiration too; it’s a mix of different influences and feelings that can blossom into inspiration and action at the most unexpected time. I’ve also taken inspiration from music, responding visually to the sounds. I’ve worked on projects with musicians like Damien Dempsey, where I painted 20 murals of his lyrics around Dublin. The inspiration behind that project came from the positive impact his music had on me as a young man and I wanted to share that with others. It resulted in raising €30,000 for the Simon Community.

Maser

What is your favourite medium?

Paint, I find it the best to communicate what I’m trying to say in the moment. It has so many possible outcomes; it’s an incredibly versatile medium for scale and colour variables. I do love other mediums such as woodwork because I build to create experiences. I’ve played with digital art over the years but I’m never too drawn to it. I work with it usually out of necessity.

What’s your favourite time of day to create?

I’m an early bird, so my mind usually starts going from 6am. I try my best to practise morning rituals which allows me to get into the creative flow or flow-state faster. I’ll start my morning with some journaling, maybe a bit of meditation, and I write my to-do list for the day. I work towards being creative from about 10am onwards. Then usually after 2pm it starts to dwindle. I can still be super productive but not as forward-thinking.

Maser

What has been one of your favourite projects to date and why?

I’ve been blessed with so many brilliant experiences and it is hard to pick one. There was a period of about three years where I got to travel extensively creating installations, murals and experiential art. My artwork was my vehicle for travelling the world. The timing was perfect; I had the energy and availability to throw myself into my work and it led the way. Those projects facilitated my desire to see the world, meet people, have new experiences, and learn about other cultures and myself.

How does art affect other areas of your life?

It’s dangerous to say, but I hold my art as a key part of my identity. It has integrated into all other aspects of my life. I talk to others about the idea of an ‘integrated lifestyle’ and I’ve learnt that if I take care of myself, like having those morning rituals coupled with physical training, it creates more discipline in my life to make time for my work, resulting in better output. When I feel like I’m achieving and making progress with my artwork I feel I’m a better, more present partner, friend and father. Everything works as one.

What are you working on at the moment? Are any new exhibitions or collaborations coming up?

Currently, I’m creating a body of work that I’ll exhibit next year as a solo show with Gormleys Gallery. It consists of a collection of paintings and sculptural works primarily inspired by my son. It is about the calm and chaos of a developing young child and is represented through the stacking of my graphic clean forms mixed with deconstructed and gestural mark-making. The pieces are made with brushes, scraping paint, and even using a super soaker filled with paint to spray on the canvas with no control over the result.

The idea of play and discovery are the lead roles in these works. Watching my son Alfie process and learn is fascinating to me. The core of the work still holds the principles I learnt from graffiti/street art – the use of colour and form and how they interplay to make a piece visually impactful in a busy public space.

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