Maria Rivans has created an amazing room at the artists residence hotel, so we caught up with her to find out more about how it was created and her life as an artist.
artrepublic: What inspired you in creating the Artist Residence room?
Maria: The room was created around the idea of the long lost tradition of sending picture postcards. I found some beautiful vintage postcards of Brighton and Florida and the collage grew from these. 
artrepublic: How was creating work on a wall different or similar to creating your other artworks?
Maria: It was similar in the way that I create all of my collages on a canvas which is attached to my studio wall, so work upright. The challenge with this project was to fit the collage to the dimension of the hotel room walls.
artrepublic: Your works are incredibly detailed – how long did it take to create the room in the Artist Residence?
Maria: The room took a good few months, from the collecting and cutting of all the imagery to finally installing the collage in the room. Once all the images were cut I made an exact mock up of the hotel walls in my studio and from there I began to create the composition. Once I was happy with the design everything was recorded before dismantling and finally reassembled in the hotel. 
artrepublic: Has it always been your dream to be an artist?
Maria: Yes totally, as a child I would sit and draw for hours. I was watching the Bette Davis movie ‘Stolen Life’ where she played an artist and when I saw her painting in her magnificent studio I knew that’s what I wanted to be. Five years later I found myself at art college.
artrepublic: Which other artists do you admire? Is there one artist you would love to do a collaboration with?
Maria: There are so many it’s very hard to chose…but at the moment I am enjoying reading Sarah Lucas’ book about her Venice Biennale exhibition “I Scream Dadio’. I loved that show, it totally knocked me out.
artrepublic: What kind of environment do you like to work in?
Maria: I love my studio, it’s very tidy and organised and I like to work to music all day.
artrepublic: If you weren’t an artist, what career path would you have chosen?
Maria: Astronaut
artrepublic: If you could be one person for a day, who would you be?
Maria: Chan Marshall of Cat Power
artrepublic: If you were stranded on a desert island, what one item would you take?
Maria: My guitar (I can’t play by the way but I’m learning)
View Maria's work available to buy at artrepublic.com 
Competition time! You could win a nigh in Maria's room
and the Artists Residence Hotel in Brighton and a fantastic limited edition print by Maria click here to find out how to enter Competition closes 22/04/17
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