Cassie Waters

This week’s mini Artist Feature is from Zine creator Cassie Waters!

Read the full interview below for more info about her c reative Zine work!…

Q1: What is your Name, Age, and Where are you based?

A: My name is Cassie Waters, I’m 23 and I’m newly based in East London, although I am originally from Suffolk and have spent a few years living in Norfolk.

Q2: How did you first get into your creative practice/ work?

A: I have always been very creative but was put off studying art academically at A-Levels by a particular teacher who was not encouraging of practices that weren’t similar to his own. I quit early on in the year and switched to History. However, by not having an Art A-Level my options to study Art or Animation at university as I had previously considered, were slightly inhibited and I eventually settled on my other love, English Literature. In between then and now I have explored my practice in various ways and have now found my calling in creating zines (a noncommercial often homemade or online publication usually devoted to specialised and often unconventional subject matter). Since the Coronavirus pandemic, I have been obsessively making zines everyday and have amassed a pretty large collection in a short time!

Q3: Are there any main or overarching themes you explore in your work?

A: My zines tend to be about my experiences of living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, anxiety, depression, agoraphobia and being a working-class woman, but I also make zines about any subjects, from The Simpsons to racism in rural communities. I like to think that there’s no topic I wouldn’t explore in my zines and I don’t want to be held back by fitting into too strict a theme.

Q4: Highlight one of your biggest inspirations!

A: One of my greatest inspirations has always been Tracey Emin. I am fascinated by people’s inner lives and her work is so honest and confessional. She conveys love, sadness and inner pain like few other artists can. I also love how she combines the written word within her art, I suppose because that shares a likeness to zines. My favourite piece of Tracey Emin’s is her installation ‘Everyone I’ve Ever Slept With’. Her work inspires me to be honest and embrace my pain and experiences when creating art.

‘Everyone I’ve ever slept with’ by Tracey Emin

Q5: Where can you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

A: In 5 years time I would like to be able to split my work 50/50 between my current full time job in publishing and my art and Zine-making. I love working in publishing and believe enormously in the power of books for change! But I also really enjoy the freedom and creativity that making and selling zines and art allows me. Having the best of both worlds would be amazing!