Art thrives when an artist feels uninhibited and free. They can be inspired by anything from a walk in the park or people-watching at their favorite indie coffee shop, but experiencing life out in the world can be a major source of inspiration. Given the lack of world exposure recently, it can be difficult imagining that artistic creations are blooming right now. Luckily, however, many artists have found a way to make the most out of the past few months and turn an ugly experience into something beautiful.

Eric Croes

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For Belgian artist Eric Croes, the quarantine has been bittersweet. The artist was meant to have a solo show at his Brussels gallery in March, but that had to be postponed for obvious reasons. However, the artist has remained optimistic and has continued to engage in creativity during this time. In an interview with AD, Croes stated, “Instead of drowning in melancholy, I took advantage of the time to throw myself into my work: I started working on a commission for the city of Nantes and it took an unexpected turn during this strange period. During the modeling process, it became something like an ex-voto covered with good luck charms. I wanted it to be like a good genie protecting the passersby. It’s also brought me good luck in the studio during this time.”

Luckily Croes has remained optimistic and has his ‘assistant’, Mammoth (his pup), to keep him company while he’s sculpting!

Julia Chiang

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Based out of Brooklyn, Chiang has spent the past few months of isolation doing a series of watercolor paintings. She has featured these paintings on her online gallery, Modern Institute, and is using her art as a way to help charitable causes. Twenty percent of the sales from her pieces are being donated to Doctors Without Borders and the Glasgow Night Shelter for Destitute Asylum Seekers. Each painting is titled with the date it was made and the artist cited that this was to chronicle and record the unique time through which we’re currently living.

Xavier Veilhan

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Multi-faceted artist, Veilhan, works with several sects of art including film, sculpture, performance art, drawing, and photography. He is previously known for turning the French Pavilion into a recording studio and representing France at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017. Over the course of the quarantine, the artist has focused on doing small drawings every day, creating a routine for himself that cycles through several of his passions which also includes cooking and exercise.