Vane MG is a Colombian street artist. Now living in the East End of London she is known for her vibrant colourful work. Inspired by natural beauty of her home country, it can be quite a contrast to some of the streets of the city.
From Medellin originally Vane moved to the UK in 2016. “Because of love” she smiles. Europe was always on the cards but the UK was where she ended up. Initially struggling to get settled, it was her art that allowed for doors to open. First finding communities of Latin American artists and then throwing herself into the world of street art. “There’s nowhere quite like London” she says. High praise considering that Colombia boasts some of the greatest street art in the world.
Colourful Vibes
“I always bring colourful vibes and I bring a little bit of my culture” Vane says when describing her artwork. Influences too are taken from the Japanese art world of anime and manga as well as from Colombia itself. These are woven in and out of her paintings. Colours will often have a nod to those from her home and from her environment growing up. Clothing used and the plant life depicted might well also be drawn from her home country. Mainly though she says that the intention for her artwork is just all about the positivity.
Interview with Vane MG
Vane MG
Her name, Vane MG, has also influenced her iconography since moving to the UK. Often including wind vanes in her work. These are toys that will be familiar to kids growing up. Little star shaped bits of plastic which rotate when blown. Her name, Vane, in her home country would have the ‘e’ accented. In Britain people would miss this nuance and so ‘Vane’ it was. The ‘MG’ on the the end is a homage to her family name
The Wind
Attaching meaning to the name, Vane realised that in English the word held connotations around the wind. First of course the ‘wind vane’ but then tying this in with her own identity as an Aquarius, itself an air sign. “I love all the meaning about the movement of the air. About nature, About how the air can clean your thoughts and that you can create new things with the movement of the wind”. This too is present within her artwork. “I like to bring the movement” she tells me and indeed within each of her pieces there is this flow inherent within them.
Flow
“I always try to do things that lets people create their own understanding of the piece” Vane MG says of the flow of her work. Although there might be an initial thought, she revels in the fact that once created a piece can take on a whole new meaning. “I want to create art that will allow people to be there for more than a minute” she says. Hoping that the work will draw people in. Allowing for the imagination to take over.
Vane MG was interviewed on 9 March 2022. The interview is a part of our Artists of the East End series which can be found on youtube.
Vane MG Gallery
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