CLAUDINSKY

I fell off posting on my art blog in March 2020 and have just now decided to put effort into updating it again. Gonna preemptively answer hypothetical questions!

Who are you?

I’m Claudia Chinyere Akole, an illustrator, animator, cartoonist, designer, and educator from Sydney, Australia (Gadigal & Wangal Country).

Did something happen to you?

No, I’ve been totally fine! In fact, I’ve still been making art both personally and commercially all this time.

Did you leave Tumblr for another platform (like Twitter) due to the NSFW ban?

Nope. I’ve been on Tumblr since 2010 (ough) and never really left – I just left my art blog languishing away and stuck to my regular main blog.

I have not ever and will not ever have a Twitter account. Nor will I ever make a TikTok account. I like to keep social medias at arms length coz of the brain worms.

Why did you stop posting on Tumblr?

In early 2020 I’d just quit my day job and shifted into being a full-time freelancer (scary) and actually had a lot of work come thru (good! didn’t become homeless artist!). I continued posting art on my instagram and website but fell off updating my art Tumblr at the same time and then it turned into a vicious cycle of being too busy and overwhelmed by the need to catch up on all the missed work.

Will you be retroactively posting all your art from the past 3 years?

No, but maybe once in a while if I randomly feel like it/have time to. BIG if. 

I decided the only way to overcome my anxiety about resuming my art blog was to clean-cut resolve that I don’t need to catch up on all the missed work from the past 3 years.

Where can I reliably see your art from the past 3 years?

My instagram (@claudinsky) or my website (claudinsky.com). You can also read most of my comics online for free via the ‘Read Comics’ link on my site.

I sent you an ask and never got a reply...

I’m sorry!!! I genuinely appreciate kind messages so much and got too anxious about replying so late. If you’ve sent me something nice these past 3 years I promise I have read it now and cherish it.

Thank you for reading! I will try my hardest to stay on top of posting art here from now on, wish me luck!!!

Hell & High Water Multi-layer Acetate Illo Timelapse Video 🌊🔥

A lil timelapse vid of the drawing process for my recent Cover Spread illustration for Going Down Swinging Edition 43.

The Edition 43 Launch Event will be down in Naarm/Melbourne at The Mission to Seafarers at 7PM on 22 Sep!

Cover Spread Illustration for Going Down Swinging Edition 43: Hell & High Water 🌊🔥

Been a while since I’ve been able to do a traditional multi-layer acetate illo for a gig, so I was stoked to pick up my POSCAs for this 🖍

GDS Edition 43 Launch Event is on 22 Sep at The Mission to Seafarers down in Naarm/Melbourne ! Event deets on FB 🗓

Special Thanks to GDS Editor Hollen Singleton as always for having me ❤️‍🔥

Hello I’m late but I’ll be a part of a YES Exhibition pop-up show with 10+ other LGBT+ art superstars to celebrate Mardi Gras next weekend! 🏳️‍🌈👀

One day only, 10-6PM Sat 6 March at Luna Studio in Newtown (Sydney)!

I’ll have a bunch of new works, Im making hand-lettering posters that are hand cut and sprayed stencils! ✂️

This YES! poster is metallic gold spray paint on black card stock - and this video is a loop of 5 of the posters to show that they’re each unique ✨

Not to be deep on main but my relationship with different parts of my sexuality have been both easily digested or clouded with constant doubt internally, but It’s gotten easier understanding myself (and other people!!) once I accepted that labels are umbrellas and every single person experiences sexuality and gender in their own specific ways that sometimes overlap.

SO every single poster available will be a lil bit diff with its own imperfections 🌟

Applications for comic classes I’ll be teaching close TOMORROW :^0

5PM Monday 22 Feb 2021 (AEDT) (So in like 18 hours)

Follow the ‘Toolkits: Graphic Narratives’ link in my bio linktree 😎⚡️

Another lil pencils v final comic art post as a premise to remind ppl to apply for the comic classes I’ll be teaching!

🗓 Starts at the end of March and goes for 12 weeks! 🖍 1 class a week on Thursdays! 💻 Online and free! ✍🏽 Comics!!! 🕙 Applications close Mon 22 Feb 2021 (AEDT)!

Lil reminder post that you have until Mon 22 Feb 2021 (AEDT) to apply for the online comic workshops I’ll be teaching!

Follow the ‘Toolkits: Graphic Narratives’ link in my bio linktree!

Starts at the end of March and goes for 12 weeks (1 class a week)! Free and online!!

I love comics! I love discussing how to make comics! If u also love comics or think you will love comics then pls apply!

I’ve been officially announced as the facilitator for Toolkits: Graphic Narratives hosted by Express Media !

I’ll be teaching a 12-week comic program that’s open to 8 young writers (art fiends included, don’t feel put off if u don’t consider yourself a writer)! It’ll be online so all you need is an internet connection to apply!

This ‘Flood’ AR filter is the final little piece of my work for Going Down Swinging 41 !!!

I’m so thrilled to see my animation come to life this way! Exactly how I envisioned! This was lovingly produced by Anneli and the @gds_journal team 💘

You can use this filter on insta by searching ‘going down swinging’ or ‘ClaudiaChinyereAkole’ in the Story filter search!

CW: suicide, anxiety, depression, weight gain

‘Flood’ Comic (Page 1 of 2) 🌊

Excited to finally announce that Going Down Swinging 41: a boundary pushing, augmented reality-enabled digital edition by @gds_journal has just gone live!

It’s an honour to be a part of the project with a bunch of other cool cats: @stacygougoulis @mandylouord @xanthedobbie Jon Thjia, Lujayne Hourani, @marcpearson_ @nickyminus Cecile Richard, and @dillings Also with cool merch featuring @dangerlam 🛍

My comic ‘Flood’ is linked here 🔗 And GDS 41 linked here 🔗

For the best AR experience view the site on desktop ⚡️

A sped-up time lapse video of the process behind ‘Moonrise’ a multi-layer acetate illustration that’s on display at Goodpace this week 🌙

This week @gds_journal has been posting little clues... and I’m excited they’ve finally announced that I’m one of the artists in the lineup for Going Down Swinging 41 which will be coming out real soon!

There’s a 5 min artist feature video linked in the @gds_journal bio where I talk about the work I’ve contributed 📼

‘Moonrise’ 🌙

POSCA illustration on multiple layers of wet media acetate. The original A3 illo and A4 prints are available for sale at Goodspace until Wed 13 Jan 9PM alongside a roster of work from other local treasures!

🪑Me: What do I even pay you for? 👓Me: You don’t pay me. 🪑Me: ...Oh yeah.

I’m extremely honoured to have my comic ‘Chinyere’ awarded a Gold Ledger in The Ledger Awards 2020 🥺🌷

I really can’t express my gratitude to the judges and my local comix community enough!

And also a thank you to Comic Sans Anthology where the comic was also published in Nov 2019 💗