The Freedom to Experiment
London-based artist and illustrator Charlotte Mei has developed a distinctive multidisciplinary practice that moves between painting, ceramics, sculpture, animation and design. Combining playful imagery with moments of emotional depth, her work draws on childhood memories, fantasy, popular culture and the influences of her mixed cultural heritage. From Japanese manga and anime to English folklore and Arthurian legends, Mei brings together different visual traditions to create a world that feels both familiar and wonderfully unexpected.
Her international career has seen her exhibit in London, Hong Kong, Berlin, New York and Tokyo, while collaborations with Hermès, Nike, Ferragamo, Sony Music and The New York Times have brought her distinctive aesthetic to audiences beyond the gallery. Her 2024 solo exhibition, Like a Melody: Myths, Memories and Fantasy, at London’s NOW Gallery offered an ambitious exploration of imagination and storytelling through large-scale paintings, sculpture and immersive installations.
What makes Mei’s practice particularly compelling is her refusal to be defined by a single medium or creative discipline. Whether working with the physical qualities of clay and metal or the expressive possibilities of painting, she approaches each project with curiosity and a willingness to experiment. Humour, melancholy, nostalgia and fantasy frequently coexist in her work, reflecting her belief that art, like life, rarely expresses just one emotion.
In this interview with The Flux Review, Mei discusses the freedom of working across disciplines, the relationship between commercial success and artistic independence, the influence of her cultural background and why, even after establishing an international career, she continues to approach every new project with the curiosity of a beginner.
Your work moves between painting, illustration, ceramics and sculpture. Do you see these as separate strands of your practice, or as different ways of exploring the same visual world?
I see no difference in terms of my conceptual approach, and all my projects, whether I use paint or sculpture, are certainly different ways of exploring the same world. What I love about shifting media is the sense of materiality and textures telling part of the story. Whether it’s hard and slick metal or soft and loose clay, they have an emotional quality. I also love the ‘thingyness’ of objects that you can hold in your hand or view from different angles.
There is often a playful, humorous quality to your work, but also moments of strangeness or melancholy. How important is that balance between lightness and something more emotionally ambiguous?
I want my work to convey a range of feelings all at once, because that’s how it feels to be alive. I don’t think I intentionally try to make work that’s funny, melancholy or anything else, but I guess my personality will come through on its own. Creating art is such an emotional process that whatever I’m experiencing feeds into the visuals in some way.
You have worked with major brands and publications, including Hermès, Nike, Ferragamo and The New York Times. What makes a commercial collaboration feel creatively worthwhile to you?
I think the different contexts for my work, be they a gallery or a commercial collaboration, have both given me so much. It’s such an honour to have my vision recognised by heritage brands like Hermès and Ferragamo, and the problem-solving aspect of working on a commission for The New York Times or something editorial is fun for me.
And crucially, these collaborations allow me to fund my career and life as an artist. I come from a working-class background and pursued a career in the industry without a clue what I was doing and, needless to say, without contacts. Working on these projects is a blessing for me, as it allows me to continue to make art my way.
Your exhibitions have taken place in cities including London, Hong Kong, Berlin, New York and Tokyo. Have you noticed audiences responding differently to your work in different cultural contexts?
I’m a person of mixed heritage, and I think the Eastern and Western parts of my brain both play a part in forming the shape of my practice. Asian audiences tend to notice some of the manga and anime influences, while Western audiences respond to the Impressionist influences in my work.
My inspiration comes from my childhood and the stories I consumed. English fantasy, like Tolkien and Arthurian legends, and characters and stories from Asia have both informed my visual style.
You have worked across fine art, fashion, publishing, music and design. Do you think those traditional boundaries between creative disciplines are becoming less relevant for artists today?
I found myself working across multiple disciplines, including fine art, books, moving image and design, because they felt right. I always admired artists who are focused and stubborn, with a body of work that felt consistent and cohesive, but that wasn’t me. Now that I have grown into myself as an artist, I’ve realised that’s my own strength and part of who I am.
At this stage in your career, what still feels genuinely new or challenging to you creatively?
Everything! I still don’t have a specific formula for how to approach a project or an artwork. I still feel like a baby every time I start something new. I think I want to keep my perspective on making work fresh forever.
For more information, visit Charlotte’s website.
