Hailing from London, England, Morag Myerscough has always lived in the city. She is fascinated by how colors and patterns can transform brutal urban environments, and she uses her bold works of art to create community with the people who will live around them. Her mantra, she says, is to “make happy those who are near, and those who are far will come.” This is demonstrated in recent work, including “Surrender to Its Warm Embrace,” a wall installation for the Life is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas, and a 200m installation in a hospital in Sweden that was inspired by two years of “mood tweets.”

Morag shares some insights below, and you can hear more about her process when she joins our In/Visible Talks speaker lineup at the January conference.

What is your relationship to the creative process?

“I often work with community groups to develop ideas that reflect the identity of the users, drawing on a shared cultural history and the heritage of the local area. These collaborations have resulted in some strong permanent installations in hospitals, schools, and libraries.”

How or where to you find inspiration?

“Everything around me, traveling, and cities.”

When did you first realize you needed to be in a creative field?

“My father was a musician and my mother a textile artist, so I grew up in a creative environment. But I only made my mind up when I was 17 and applied to go to art college.”

What was your first job?

“My very first job was working in a shop to help me through art college. But my first creative job was a summer job before I went to the Royal College of Art. It was for a design company, Design Solution, and although I had an amazing time and made some great friends, it also helped me realise it was not the work I wanted to do.”

Favorite Color?

“I have a set of colours that I like working with at the moment, but these develop and change. I do have a passion for neon colours.”

BONUS ROUND: What’s on your desk?

“Computers, papers, pen. Usually it’s a bit of a mess.”

We can’t wait for Morag’s session at In/Visible Talks 2018. Register now!