A colourful artistic odyssey took place at SAM
On Wednesday, January 17, I embarked on a creative journey at Shepparton Art Museum, immersing myself in the Making Zines workshop, hosted by the talented Nicky Tsekouras.
The atmosphere was buzzing yet studious. Each participant was absorbed in their artistic project, accompanied by a backdrop of chilled tunes that set a comfortable and relaxed tone.
Tables were covered with artistic treasures — mountains of magazine pages, books, glue sticks, pens and pencils, glitter, and small jewels — offering something for every artistic taste.
Tsekouras is a multidisciplinary visual artist based in Melbourne and was the Young Citizen of the Year 2022 for the City of Yarra. The session unfolded as a vibrant exploration of magazine creation, blending various media like collage, drawing, writing and painting.
Participants flipped through pages of books about fashion, art, nature, and hobbies, guided by Tsekouras, who declared making zines as the “ultimate means of DIY self-expression”.
Teens engaged in a step-by-step collage exercise, bringing their ideas to life and exploring concepts for their artistic creations.
Tsekouras encouraged participants to craft micro-zines as a warm-up exercise, allowing them to “flex creative muscles before starting something bigger”. The group also collaborated on a collective zine, uniting all present in a shared creative endeavour.
Amidst the whirlwind of creativity, I had the opportunity to chat with Tsekouras about their practice and collage art. They shared insights into their workshop facilitation journey, revealing that it began during lockdowns, gaining considerable popularity online, which ultimately proved to be a rewarding experience.
When questioned about their love for collage, Tsekouras expressed the joy of being present and revelling in its problem-solving aspect. As a medium, collage allowed them to recontextualise famous images, injecting a personal twist into creations by renowned artists, creating a space for serendipitous discoveries.
Describing collage as “a mathematical way of creating”, Tsekouras emphasised its rewarding nature as pieces seamlessly came together. They hailed collage for its sustainability, accessibility to all, and the immediate gratification it provided.
As for the source of collage materials, Tsekouras revealed it was a studio filled with upcycled images collected from op shops, gifts from friends in various industries, and rescued treasures from hard rubbish over the years.
Surrounded by this artistic abundance, I was inspired to create my first-ever mini zine under Tsekouras’ guidance. The process highlighted the accessibility of collaging —cutting images is accessible to all experience levels, allowing those who may not consider themselves ‘artists’ to unlock their untapped creativity.
Reflecting on the experience, I realised that sometimes, all it takes to create is making the time for it.
After each workshop, Olivia Trenorden, SAM’s public program co-ordinator, gathered signatures from participating artists on a canvas, proudly displayed at SAM’s kids’ gallery — an artistic testament to the vibrant creativity that blossoms within SAM’s workshops.