April Lawyer (bape.ril) has accomplished something at 16 years old that many artists living in the age of social media continually struggle with, finding a signature art style. If you would have asked me three months ago what my opinion on spaced out alien chicks was, I would have probably told you something along the lines of “what are you talking about?” or “do aliens even have a gender?”. While I’m not sure about that second question (NASA where you at) I can now tell you with complete confidence, spaced out alien chicks-I’m a fan. That being said, to imply that Lawyer’s work is nothing more than alien chicks would be an insult and simply untrue. Whether it be an aspect of the unapologetic sexuality conveyed in many of her pieces or the way Lawyer portrays women as bad ass, gritty, and beautiful creatures, her amazing work and signature style is beginning to catch the attention of many supporters. Amongst these fans is Colombian pop princess Kali Uchis, whose been garnering major attention through her soulful collaborations with Tyler The Creator and Steve Lacy of The Internet. Kali conveys a message of strength and sexual empowerment for women in many of her songs and videos, something that describes Lawyer’s work to a T (admittedly much better than “alien chicks”). Intentional or not April Lawyer’s work empowers women, preaching a message of baddassery and self love, all while toying with darker themes throughout various pieces. Fans of her work happily embrace this message, many going as far as changing their Instagram and social media avi’s to pictures of the tripped out caricatures Lawyer has dreamed up. As her Instagram bio states April is “just a girl tryna spread some art” but it would seem that through this art April has become part of a much larger movement. We had the pleasure of sitting down with April to shed some light on her creative process, inspirations, as well as upcoming projects she has in store.

Good Fortunes: Who are you? April:  My name is April Lawyer I'm 16 and from Tucson Arizona.

Good Fortunes: How exactly do you begin your journey as an artist? April: I've always been into art for as long as I can remember. I guess the main reason I got into art was because I’ve always had these images in my head and I could never take a picture of them since they were in my mind haha, so I just drew them down on a piece of paper.

Good Fortunes: At what moment did you realize you loved art? April: The moment I realized I loved art was when I first joined social media when I was about 14 and I started to recognize so many artists. I realized that no artist is the same. Every artist has a different style and story to tell which really intrigued me. I realized I was talented at it when I was 15 and I started to post my art on Instagram and people actually really liked it which surprised me because I was so insecure about my work back then.

Good Fortunes: How would you describe your art style? April: It’s difficult for me to describe my art style since I’m still pretty young and I’m still trying figure out what my art style is. For now there's no other way that I can describe my art style other than my own. I do my art from an app on my phone called ibisPaint since I'm still saving up for other tools and whatnot.

Good Fortunes: We noticed the same “third eye” theme in most of your illustrations. What are you trying to convey by including that in your work? April: When someone's third eye is open it not only allows them to have knowledge of themselves and their surroundings, but also helps them get in touch with their creative side. It's basically like thinking out the box. It also lets that person be more conscious and trusting with their decisions which is something  important for an artist. Basically when I put the third eye in my drawings it's kinda like a symbol for me trusting my creative capability. It's like a piece of me that gets to go in each one of my drawings which is pretty cool.

Good Fortunes: Who are some of your inspirations? Who has had an influence on your work?
                                                                                                    April: I have so many inspirations honestly. They usually come from the music I listen to, movies and shows I watch, my personal experiences and nature. An artist who inspires me the most is Toshio Saeki. The darkness and sexuality of his work is probably why I love it so much.

Good Fortunes: How would you describe your creative process? April: Usually songs or movies I watch trigger an idea which usually ends up on paper. If I like the sketch I'll expand on it on the drawing app I use.

Good Fortunes: What do you listen to while you’re working on projects? April: What I listen to depends on the piece I'm working on. If I'm working on a more chill and relaxed piece I'll listen to artists like XXYYXX, if I'm working on a more dark piece I'll listen to artists like spooky black, Lana Del Rey or Abra.

Good Fortunes: Who’s your favorite artist of all time? April: There's so many great artists and songs. One minute I'll be listening to Tupac and the next I'll be listening to Ben E. King or System of a Down. I listen to so many different genres which makes it impossible for me to just choose one.

Good Fortunes: What would you say your proudest moment as an artist has been? April: The proudest moment I've ever had as an artist so far was about a couple months ago when I was was 15. Kali Uchis (one of my favorite singers) hit me up and asked me if I wanted to work with her and illustrate a sticker book for her (which she'll be releasing soon). I'm gonna be working on more art for her for a while so watch out for that!!

Good Fortunes: That’s amazing! Any current projects you’re working on? April: Currently I'm working on putting out merchandise. Prints, shirts, stickers, etc.

Good Fortunes: What would you say has been your favorite piece you’ve created?

April: I think my favorite piece of art is one of my most recent ones Lucy pt. 2 (even though I forgot to color some stuff on haha)

Good Fortunes: Do you see yourself doing art in the future? April: Art is the only thing that I see myself doing in the future. Whether it be illustration, photography, animation, I'll be working in the art field for sure.

Good Fortunes: What advice would you give to anybody that wants to do what you do? April: The main piece of advice I have for upcoming artists is to focus on finding your own style, don't copy other artists. Your style's unique, you’re just wasting your time if you're copying someone else. Try to do everything by hand too, you’re not improving if you’re just tracing everything.

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Our iconic Good Fortunes third eyed cat graphic you see posted around our website and on our merchandise is actually a Japanese “Maneki-Neko” statue, traditionally seen as a good luck charm. For us the cat represents good luck, good vibes and positivity. The cat’s third eye however represents our ability to think outside the lines, and express our creativity. Coincidentally April Lawyer feels the same, and her work encompasses this perfectly. Whether it be illustrating for artists like Kali Uchis or creating her own impactful wave, April remains, above all, “just a girl tryna spread some art” and it looks like the universe is finally starting to listen.