SJ Fuerst: 'I see social media as a tool to use in a way that suits my practice, rather than bending my practice to suit it'

SJ Fuerst is known for her blend of classical painting, pop culture references, and immersive gallery installations. She studied painting at the Pratt Institute of Art and Design in New York, the Florence Academy of Art, and the London Atelier of Representational Art. Her work is both beautiful and funny and can be found in private collections around the world. SJ moved from London to Gozo in 2016, and in 2019 was named by British GQ as one of the 15 best artists working today. As part of her artistic expression, SJ chooses not to reveal her physical self. 

1. What’s been the most defining moment in your career so far?

I was recently given the opportunity to design and curate a group exhibition in London. It was a dream scenario where I was entrusted with complete artistic freedom, so I chose to create an exhibition of contemporary-classical painting exploring horror. I worked with four other amazing artists (Luca Indraccolo, Lydia Cecil, Svetlana Semenova, and Lizet Dingemans), and together we produced an entire exhibition of ethereal, unsettling, black and white work.

My practice always draws from pop culture — in this case horror films and haunted attractions — so I incorporated immersive elements recalling those influences throughout the space. I installed temporary walls at the entrance of the gallery to create a dark, winding passage that visitors had to navigate to enter the show. Throughout this ‘maze’, the first paintings were revealed as reflections in mirrors waiting ominously around each bend.

It was an enormously fun show to produce, and the largest opportunity I’ve had so far to playfully transform an entire space in support of the paintings at the heart of it.

2. As an artist, how do you navigate the world and speed of social media?

I see social media as a tool to use in a way that suits my practice, rather than bending my practice to suit it. Social media is a fast-paced, ravenous content machine, and I work very slowly.

There are artists whose style fits beautifully with the Instagram/TikTok model — I love following those who post regularly — but for me, authenticity is what matters most. My priority is painting, so I focus on my work and use Instagram to share finished pieces and announce upcoming exhibitions. I enjoy making short videos and finding creative ways to promote shows, but I’m not especially concerned with creating regular content just to feed the algorithm.

Although I wouldn’t be considered an ‘Instagram artist’, I’m very grateful that the platform exists. Social media is an incredible way to let people who enjoy your work know about new pieces and exhibitions.

3. Do you consider artificial intelligence a threat to your career, or an opportunity?

I see it as an opportunity. I don’t intend to abandon my practice and become an AI artist, but I do think new technology can be a wonderful tool when used thoughtfully to enhance one’s work.

For example, in the London horror exhibition, I painted a woman’s portrait onto a piece of two-way mirror and framed it over an LED screen. The concept was to realise that classic horror movie moment of looking into a mirror and seeing a frightening face suddenly appear. I rigged the piece with a motion sensor that triggered a one-second video clip of a ghostly, screaming demon face. I used AI to create that animation, which saved me days of filming and editing — I had already tried filming something myself, but it just looked like a person in bad make-up!

4. How do you stay motivated and inspired, especially during tough times or when the work feels hard?

I credit my atelier training with instilling the necessary grit to survive in the arts. Classical training is repetitive and difficult, especially when you’re first confronted with how inaccurate your drawing abilities really are. But more than just technical skill, it teaches patience and the confidence to stick with something through the hard times.

You learn to look for the mistakes — and there are always many — and instead of feeling overwhelmed and giving up, you correct them one at a time, starting with the biggest. Every painting or drawing goes through this process, so you learn not to panic, and to trust that you’ll get there if you don’t give up.

That’s not to say it isn’t painful when things go badly — a bad painting day still breaks my heart — but I take comfort in knowing that all my best paintings had low points that I worked through. It’s part of the challenge, and it’s what makes the end result so rewarding.

5. How do you balance your creative instincts with the expectations of your audience or collaborators?

I believe instincts should always come before audience expectations. The most exciting moments in art are the ones we don’t see coming — if you only do what’s expected, your work loses the thrill of surprise.

That said, when collaborating, I think it’s important that everyone is in on the surprise. There’s nothing worse than being part of a project and realising you don’t know what the other people are doing.

If there’s a creative idea I feel strongly about, I’ll fight for it. But if I find myself fighting too hard against the others in a collaboration, it’s probably a sign the idea isn’t right for that project — better to save it for a different opportunity and find something that works better for the group.

The beautiful thing about collaborating with other artists is the abundance of creativity. When it’s a well-matched team, you naturally end up somewhere interesting and unexpected.

So, my philosophy is: Surprise the audience, and respect your collaborators.

6. How do you approach a new project? Do you have a specific process or routine?

I work very slowly, so a new project begins with a lot of research and exploring the different directions a concept might take. Lately, I’ve been developing bodies of work for exhibitions rather than one-off pieces, so I’m designing the space and mood of the show as well as planning the individual paintings.

Once I’ve solidified the concepts, I start each painting by sketching and making collages to figure out the best combination of elements. For example, the three paintings I’m exhibiting in the upcoming show The Rabbit Hole Collective #1 at il-Kamra ta‘ Fuq were inspired by the idea of plastic representations of nature. I often use inflatable toys as props in my work, but for these I wanted to stuff an inflatable like taxidermy and paint directly onto it.

I looked through all the inflatable animals available and chose a small crab, a whale, and a flamingo cut from children’s water wings. I experimented with different stuffing methods — expanding insulation foam was a messy disaster — then sketched various portrait options to find the best human–animal combinations.

The final challenge was the background: I wanted to present the plastic taxidermy in little dioramas of surreal worlds. To contrast the contemporary feel of the inflatables, I chose backgrounds inspired by Roman frescoes and a flowery summer sky reminiscent of Odilon Redon.

My painting process is influenced by Impressionism — I stand back from the easel to judge the piece from a distance. I start with the big shapes and values, then gradually refine them, correcting shapes and colours until the subject’s likeness emerges.

7. Can you let us in on some of your future projects?

My next exhibition will be a solo show at il-Kamra ta’ Fuq in early 2026. Melanie Erixon and I are still in the early stages of planning, so I can’t reveal too much yet, but it will feature all-new paintings created specifically for that space. My mind keeps returning to nature, so it may continue evolving in that direction.

Extra round

Who are your biggest influences, and how have they shaped your work?

My biggest influences are Pop Art and painters from the late 19th century. It was Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons who made me want to be an artist, and John Singer Sargent and John William Waterhouse who made me want to be a painter. I think my work is a clear combination of those two influences.

I love the challenge and aesthetic of classical painting and enjoy incorporating playful elements of pop culture that help people connect with the work. Stage sets have also become increasingly influential as I incorporate installation elements into my exhibitions. I love how theatre uses beautiful scenery to immerse the audience — even though an opera is ultimately about the music, or a ballet about the dance.

While my oil paintings are the only part of an installation, I consider art, I enjoy creating immersive environments to enhance the viewer’s experience. For example, the fake snow and mountain backdrop I built around my Mountain Goat painting for But I See Beauty and Wonder at Spazju Kreattiv last year.