In a world that often privileges speed, spectacle and surface, Iskra Sale turns instead towards stillness, precision and quiet transformation. Working primarily in graphite, white charcoal, gold and platinum, her practice unfolds through a meticulous layering of materials, where delicate marks meet the luminosity of hand-applied and engraved precious metals. The result is a body of work that exists between shadow and light, where emotional depth is revealed through subtle contrast and restraint.
Based in London, Sale’s return to drawing followed an established career in the creative industries, where she worked as an Art Director, Creative Director and founder of her own studio. This shift marks not a departure, but a refinement, moving from external communication to a more introspective and contemplative form of expression. Her works are rooted in silence, drawing on the rhythms of nature and the internal landscapes of memory, emotion and transformation.
In this interview, she reflects on the material language of her practice, the role of light within darkness, and the meditative process that underpins her work, offering a quiet yet powerful exploration of what it means to create with both sensitivity and intention.
Are you self-taught, or did you undertake formal artistic training?
My father, who worked in theatre productions and lighting engineering, cared deeply about helping me develop my talent from a very early age. I have been drawing for as long as I can remember, and from childhood it always felt like the most natural way to express my emotions. Because of this, I almost see myself as self-taught, even though I completed formal academic training in Fine Art, Illustration and Print Graphics. Of course, my education helped me greatly on a technical level, but I believe the emotional connection to art, which for me is the most important part, was formed long before that.
How would you define your visual language or conceptual approach?
As a child, I mostly drew with graphite. I also loved the combination of charcoal and red chalk (sanguine) and the quiet, monochrome world they created. Later, during my academic training, I immersed myself in painting and colour, but over time colour slowly stepped back and I returned to my first love – the simplicity of graphite. I have always felt that when you work with such a limited material, it asks more from you. It takes more effort to build depth, light and nuance, but in a way, it allows you to say more. During my studies, I also trained in iconography, where I studied gold and different techniques of working with it. I was deeply drawn to its warmth and the strong symbolism it carries. Bringing graphite and gold together happened very naturally, and I feel that this combination expresses my visual language most truthfully.
Can you describe your creative process from conception to completion?
I almost never draw spontaneously. Usually, each work stays with me for a long time as something that deeply moves me and feels as if it needs to be said. At some point, the moment simply arrives when it needs to come out into the world. In truth, I have already drawn each work many times in my mind long before it appears on paper. There are emotional moments that stay locked inside me, and sometimes a small detail from reality unlocks them. That is when I understand that the time to draw it has come.
Does narrative, symbolism, or storytelling play a role within your work?
Yes, absolutely. Every drawing is an untold story. That is why it has always been difficult for me to produce something that simply recreates reality. For that kind of approach, I would personally choose photography. For me, drawing is a powerful emotion and, above all, a way of connecting. Moving through these processes, telling an emotion through pencil and paper, and losing yourself in the act of creating – this is the true meaning of art for me. If you do not go through every step yourself, with an open and vulnerable heart, you miss the most valuable part of being an artist. That is also why I don’t really understand where the beauty is in creating art with AI. It would not help me grow in any way, either as a person or as an artist.
Which artists have most influenced you historically or contemporarily and why?
Albrecht Dürer has always had the deepest influence on me, not only as an artist, but also as a person and a thinker, from everything I have read about him. When I was younger, I was so fascinated by him that I asked my parents to take me to his hometown, Nuremberg. I stayed there with my father for about a month, trying to follow his footsteps through the streets, where his inspiration came from, and the strength of his character and talent. He will always remain my favourite artist. At the same time, I am also drawn to contemporary artists, especially young Japanese artists, whose sensitivity and attention to detail I deeply admire.
What personal, cultural, or environmental influences shape your practice?
Light and darkness as emotional states, and our natural connection to both, have always shaped my practice. I have always been deeply moved by the idea that we are part of everything that surrounds us, and by the importance of truly feeling this connection. I am equally interested in becoming strong and humble enough to accept both our light and our dark sides, and in being more honest with ourselves through that acceptance. This contrast of emotions is naturally reflected in graphite and gold as two very different, yet deeply complementary materials. Graphite carries matter, shadow and earth, while gold holds a pure light which, although constantly changing, never fades. Intertwined, these two materials create, for me, a sense of wholeness and balance.
Where is your studio based, and how does the space inform your creativity?
I work from my home in North London, very close to King George’s Fields and Hadley Woods, an area full of open green spaces and beautiful woodland. The room where I draw faces south and looks directly onto my garden, allowing me to enjoy the sun and the changing light throughout the day, and the only sounds I hear are birdsong. This space is a deep source of inspiration for me. A few years ago, I went through the whole process of creating this garden myself, planting a large number of roses, hydrangeas and camellias, and watching them grow and develop over time. I feel this has deeply influenced the way I draw. When spring comes and the garden begins to wake, I watch the magnolias and the apple tree bloom just outside my window, the bees returning, the robins building their nests, and the deer beginning to visit us more often, with this life cycle repeating itself each year. It naturally invites you to pause, observe, and reflect. This is how ‘The Garden in Me’, series was born, and I feel it continues to shape everything I do in my art.
Do you have any rituals or rhythms that anchor your studio practice?
Maybe the only ritual I truly have is to clear my mind from everything else, from all the personal noise that daily life brings, so that I can hear my inner voice in the purest and deepest way. This inner voice is what completely guides me when I draw. For me, this is one of the most precious things that creating art gives us – it has the power to make the rest of the world disappear, allowing you to hear yourself with complete clarity and to fully lose yourself in the process.
What bodies of work or projects are you currently developing?
After my two series ‘The Garden in Me’, and ‘Spirit Reflections’, I am now beginning a new body of work, the ‘Forever Held’, series. In this series, I am deeply drawn to the metamorphosis we go through during the loss of a loved one or a precious moment that will never return. I am interested in the emotions we move through, and how we eventually reach the point where our hearts can feel full of love again despite the change. What moves me most is how we slowly learn to carry only the beauty of the past within us, and how we finally arrive at remembering without pain. I still remember the moment I first saw Praying Hands by Albrecht Dürer as a child and the deep impression it left on me. Now, after so many years, I feel I understand this theme in a far more personal and sincere way, and the time has come to create my own view on it.
Where can collectors encounter or acquire your work?
Apart from the exhibitions I take part in, my website iskrasale.co.uk is the main place where collectors can view my work. At the moment, I offer limited print editions of my original drawings. Each print is made to order and remains individual, as I continue to draw onto it with graphite and white charcoal, while the gold and platinum are applied and engraved by hand. I decided to create prints because it feels like a more accessible way for my work to reach more people, which is very important to me. For me, art is above all a form of communication – with ourselves and with the people around us.
