Focusing on creatives who are involved in multi-media, multi-disciplinary or a number of practices, my first subject is…
Who: Paul Bradley
What: Creative Development – Creative Waikato; Painter/Mural/Street Artist; Live Performance Artist.
Where: Hamilton, NZ
Paul is a leader in Hamilton’s local creative realm. He works 3 – 4 days per week at Creative Waikato – which is a community driven service offering assistance to local creatives – and also is a free-lancing artist himself.
Under the name Paul Be, he offers his paintings in galleries, does commission work and also wall murals. Under collaborative music project Dr. Mesmer’s Private Army, Paul is a live performance artist who creates abstract imagery through light-box drawings alongside the music played live by the other 3+ members. Also, he was one of the original instigators of the inaugural BOON Street Art Festival, which has brought Hamilton City to life with colourful walls painted by various artists from across the country.
Paul has journeyed a long way since graduating as a graphic designer. Eventually working as a free-lancing designer for about 10 years, he ventured to Wellington to pursue art. Developing his artistry through painting, teaching art in the community and commissioning commercial illustrations, a new pathway of creation opened up for him in Hamilton.
“I’m really liking all of things I’m doing… being able to share with people is really amazing. I guess I’ve chosen ways that are very much about sharing… painting a wall in a public space or doing a performance in front of a crowd is building that connection with an audience.”
“The work I do with Creative Waikato is just a real buzz to be able to work with other people to help them do what they want to do as well”. Collaboration is intermingled with most of Paul’s projects, and also the true satisfaction of how important it is for him to be working in the creative industries:
“I think I kind of have to, otherwise I’d go crazy. So, sanity is probably the main thing”, he laughs. “Being able to do what I love – it makes me feel good, I’m able to explore all sorts of ideas and my relationship with the world – that kind of stuff, which is a pretty amazing thing to be able to do.”