we've linked up with multidisciplinary artist, C.S. Corbin (they/them) for an fun art collab! get to know Corbin + shop the collection dropping April 21st on our website
tell us about yourself!
Hello! I’m Corbin and I’m a multidisciplinary artist based here in DC. I’m from northern Florida and hopped around the world a bit before calling DC home. When my wine career took a sharp turn at the start of the pandemic, I ran back to my first love - art.
My return to sketching paralleled my own process of gender transition, so it has served as both a means of healing and livelihood. I’m a strong believer that art is therapy. Currently, I mostly do commission-based work which includes everything from portraiture to greeting cards to freelance illustration. When I’m not making art, I love to cook, stroll around the city, vintage shop with my partner, and open a good bottle of wine with friends.
we gotta know...what's your perfect cookie?
My perfect cookie is kipful. It pairs well with coffee and serves as a great pick me up any time of day. It’s worth getting powdered sugar everywhere. Shout out to my partner’s Jewish grandmother for our household recipe.
describe your style as it relates to your art
My style is colorful, playful, and romantic. Growing up fixated on drawing people, I was always a strict realist, but as I’ve started drawing outside of the lines more, I’ve been embracing abstract techniques. I love exploring the fluidity between those two worlds in order to create some kind of observation, whether it’s blatant or not.
what's your process when creating a new piece?
I’ll have a concept come to mind in a conversation or dream that won’t leave my brain until I write it down or sketch it out. There’s something about that process that makes me feel like an excited little kid. I have a lot of strange, unfinished pieces because of that, but those ideas eventually become building blocks for another project. Before I start any piece, I always have on background noise whether it’s a podcast or TV show.
Confession: this month’s background noise is Dawson’s Creek.
from where do you pull your inspiration?
I pull a lot of my inspiration from my experience with womanhood and femininity. I take those experiences and reframe them into appreciation and fondness. Having my art as a means of self reflection has helped me tremendously in my transition. Overall, my inspiration derives from queer joy - it’s just so gorgeous. My phone is also filled with random inspiration photos of plants, people, buildings and patterns I find while walking around DC!
who are some of your favorite artists?
I have a very long list but to name a few who have inspired me to try techniques outside of my comfort zone: Alex Katz, Salman Toor, Egon Shiel, Kehinde Wiley, Henri Mattisse, Harmonia Rosales, Paul Cezanne, Kusama Yayoi, Ashley Jaye Williams, Anthony Le.
where to find C.S. Corbin
shop the collection launching April 21st at undergroundgoods.com