Meet The Artist @enoxart

Iain Spanhake (AKA @enoxart). He describes his style as a mix of pop art, graffiti, pop culture, 80’s/90’s cartoons, and early skate culture with a dash of Japanese Kawaii. It’s cute, but has this edgy/mischievous vibe about it too. He creates mainly within digital illustration, but also dabbles in mixed mediums on canvas and wood. He’s participated in mural festivals and gallery shows in his homeland, New Zealand.

24 maj 2023

Artist of the Month: Iain Spanhake

Thank you card July 2023: Enoxart

A glimpse into the creative world of Iain Spanhake!

StickerApp: How would you define your style?

Enoxart: Edgy, trippy, vibrant and fun. My style is like this weird mixture of all of my inspirations and experiences smashed together over time. The way I describe my style is a mix of pop art, graffiti, pop culture, 80’s/90’ scartoons, early skate culture with a dash of Japanese Kawaii. It’s cute, but has this sort of edgy/mischievous vibe about it too.

StickerApp: Who or what is your biggest inspiration/s?

Enoxart: I’m inspired a lot by culture - anything from films, games, music, comics, skateboarding, cars, design and more. I also find a lot of inspiration from people - the ones you see in the street, mall, or restaurant. Everyone has this rich personality that’s sometimes a bit quirky, or mean, or soft, or weird, and I like to somehow bring those personalities through the characters that I create.

Other artists are also a big source of inspiration, such as the amazing duo 123KLAN who I came across in the early 2000’s. They successfully fuzed their incredible graffiti art street style with graphic design to create super-bold and clean designs and characters which are timeless. A few other artists that I stalk include:

Greg Mike
Bu Monster
Thumbs1
Sweyda
Matt Gondek
ClogTwo
SkullFace

StickerApp: How did it all start?

Enoxart: I’ve been drawing my whole life! As far back as I remember I’ve always wanted to be an artist and share my art with others. I’m so stoked to be able to do this every single day. I filled my maths books with drawings in school before receiving my diploma in graphic design. I worked in publishing houses, print companies and agencies for over 20 years, then in 2022 I jumped into illustration full-time and have been having a blast since.

StickerApp: Do you have a tip for those who are starting out?

Enoxart: I think a big hurdle for artists starting out is comparison. I still struggle with this myself! Start creating art just for you. Think about what you would like to see, put your expression into what you’re creating and don’t be overly concerned with how it might come out or be perceived by others. Do you, and enjoy the process!

StickerApp: Favorite app/program?

Enoxart: Toss-up between Procreate and Adobe Fresco.

StickerApp: Why do you use StickerApp?

Enoxart: Amazing quality, customer service, ordering process and the amount of materials available is insane!

StickerApp: What’s your favorite sticker material? why?

Enoxart: I’d have to go with the holographic material with it’s vibrant color-changing finish. I like to use it on certain areas of the stickers to keep it interesting.