Chloé Kovska is an Australian-based artist whose highly imaginative and provocative work merges surreal dreamscapes with pop-cultural realities. Exploring themes of arousal and sensuality drawn from a diverse range of aesthetic influences including vintage cartoon erotica, psychedelic fantasy art, tattoo culture, and comic book tradition, Kovska’s work taps into a collective nostalgia obsessed with contemporary iconography.

This Summer 2018, HUF proudly partners with Kovska on an exclusive capsule collection consisting of s/s tees, l/s tees, hats, and a skateboard deck, featuring Chloé's original artwork.

While her work speaks for itself, we wanted to know more, so we hit Chloé up for a quick Q&A. Check out the interview below. 

Q: Were you born in Australia? If so, what do you love most about home?

CK: I was born in Melbourne Australia! My favourite thing is how mellow it is here, compared to other cities. Australia is a very aesthetically beautiful place too.

[caption id="attachment_25927" align="aligncenter" width="1596"] Chloé K in the HUF x Chloé K Yin-Yang long sleeve[/caption]

Q: Have you traveled often? If so, does your traveling inspire or affect your creative direction / artwork in any way?

CK: I have traveled a bit here and there, yes, and it certainly does completely captivate and inspire me every time. Walking through other cities and especially immersing yourself in other cultures, seeing art of all kinds, its hard to not have your brain start creating its own bits and pieces from it. On top of that you meet so many amazing creative humans along the way too. I’m always grateful when traveling because you always leave learning something.

Q: Of all the artwork you’ve created – do you have a favorite piece?

CK: Tricky question, but I don't think so. I don't look at my own art that way. I kind of just have fun and have a go at making what I want. I go through stages a lot. Sometimes I look back on pieces and warm to them, other times I question what I was thinking - haha. I think a lot of artists have emotional ties with their pieces too, so a lot are reflections of moments.

[caption id="attachment_25928" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Chloé K in the HUF x Chloé K Dragon tee[/caption]

Q: When deciding what direction you wanted to take when creating the artwork for this collaboration, was it hard to narrow it down to the artwork that made the cut?

CK: I don't remember any process with HUF being difficult at all creatively, they were all very open and everything flowed quite well. We were all on the same page and this collaboration was a lot of fun to paint for.

 Q: What helped you in making your decision to work with HUF?

CK: The company is professional, friendly and laid back at the same time. I really liked how much freedom they gave me throughout the process. 

Q: Typically, how long is the creative process from start to finish? From the initial thought to execution?

CK: It depends on if it's a piece with a deadline, I try to keep on top of those - haha. I think my creative process on my own depends on my mood. I never like to feel pressured, so sometimes it can take anywhere from one day to weeks and even months. I've found that every piece tends to have it's own time span . With hobby painting or painting for pleasure it can be spontaneous or sometimes an idea you just grow in your head for ages, like a plant that'll bloom when it's ready.

[caption id="attachment_25929" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Chloé K in the HUF x Chloé K Yin-Yang long sleeve[/caption]

Q: You’ll be heading to LA to celebrate with us – how is the flight from Australia?

CK: I'm super excited to be heading to LA to celebrate with you guys finally! The flight will be a long one! I'm hoping to catch the X-files series again during my flight, have a big sleep and try not look jet-lagged at the party - hahaha.

Q: What are you most looking forward to during your stay in LA?

CK: Everything from the HUF celebration, to hanging with friends... Sorry to be boring but, the food!

You can find the complete HUF x Chloé K capsule in stores and online now. See more of Chloé K's artwork on her Instagram. 

Interview by: Katherine Emrick