Project background

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What Makes You, You? was an interactive digital art project by painter Sally Sheinman, evolving online over 6 months (March-September 2013). The success of What Makes You You? in 2013 has developed into an ongoing project.  Sally continues to take answers to the question but now creates images without the pressure of completing one each day but giving each answer the respect and time it deserves.

This unprecedented project invites the public to contribute written responses to the question ‘what makes you you?’.  Artist Sally Sheinman uses the answers to the question as inspiration for a unique painting, created on her iPad. The images are also available for sale as conventional signed prints.

The artist is motivated by the infinite scope of the question, ‘what makes you you?’ and the opportunity to capture what makes people different. She is fascinated by people; their similarities and differences genetically, culturally, socially, individually. Her images are a new type of portrait.

Inclusivity and interactivity are key to the project. Sally always seeks to draw people into a dialogue with her and her painting practice, through simple yet big questions. What Makes You, You? brings people into direct contact with her and reveals the creative processes involved in making images.

For Sally, her iPad offers her exciting new possibilities and pushing the boundaries of painting. This new medium provides opportunities for a new pallet, new mark making and a more spontaneous/flexible means of capturing an idea.

‘The freedom an iPad gives me is having a huge impact on my practice – I am no longer tied to my studio, I can paint on the train, in a café, even while looking after my grandchildren!’

In a world of social media and personalization, What Makes You, You? introduces a unique online interaction between artist and audience. This is a new creative collaboration that makes contemporary visual art all the more accessible, relevant and tangible for us.