Minimalissimo

Inside Instagram: Belle Langford

art & illustration

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Belle Langford@hellablissed — is an Australian writer and illustrator based in Sydney. Her Instagram collection Hellablissed is a refined stripped back collection of minimalist illustrations and vignettes. We caught up with Belle to discuss her work.

What is your muse for creating minimalist work?
I'm fascinated by the beauty in things that are pared back, simple and understated. I'm always drawn to the incomplete or the undone; when you have to look closely to find the beauty in something — there's no feeling like the surprise of discovering it unexpectedly.

What is the inspiration behind your minimalist illustrated work?
I'm an intensely nostalgic person and memory is probably the biggest source of inspiration for me. I'm not really concerned with recreating the most realistic or accurate depiction of something, but rather a feeling of that thing; its essence. And I put that solely down to the fuzzy pictures you get when reminiscing - intense sensation and an impression of what was, but no real particulars.

How do your surroundings impact your creativity?
The Australian landscape really can be quite harsh, rugged and weathered but whenever I'm away from it, I can't really function. I've always felt a connectedness to this place, to the peppery eucalypts and the warbling birds. The Australian landscape is strong, it survives, and it doesn't pretend to be anything other than dry soil and beige trees and prickly bushes of fuchsia or feather-soft yellow wattle that is so intense it almost hurts your eyes. It's quiet, honest and resilient and to me that determination drives my creativity more than anything.

Would you like the opportunity to have your minimalist Instagram collection featured? Please use the hashtag #minimalissimo on any photo you capture.

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