Fanni Kopasci worked with us back in 2016, and returned this summer to share her creative flare!
As the founder and artist of Thinkover, Fanni rejuvenated and brought our work surface to life! Using Studio Seventeen’s signature pink as a background, Fanni then worked into the desk with a variety of vibrant colours which was then vanished for a sleek, glossy finish.
Express yourself in a sentence
I found this quote a while ago and I think it really does describe me: “Above all, always be capable of feeling deeply any injustice committed against anyone, anywhere in the world. This is the most beautiful quality in a revolutionary.” Che Guevara
Describe what you do
I create and continuously discover the world and myself. As an artist, my emotions and views are expressed in paintings. And to help make the world a better place I have founded my hand-painted clothing brand Thinkover that I run from my studio in Nottingham.
What’s the story behind Thinkover?
Ok I will be very honest here ? When I was a teenager I suffered from a bad skin condition on my face. At the time I saw the girls in all the movies and advertisements that were perfectly pretty, and not considering myself one of them, I found refuge in the punk scene. The rebellion against the standard beauty and the distance from the “mass” was something very meaningful as I was suddenly surrounded by people who were not judging others on appearance. However, this did not resolve my lack of self-confidence and after graduating in the Art school of Hungary, I went to study economics at University as I never believed in myself as an artist. It was only some years later when I started to draw and paint again, just for my own joy.
And then, in 2014 during an exchange program in Italy, I painted my first artwork on a sleeveless. When my roommate saw it, she asked something similar for herself – I was painting all night and something had changed inside me. But it was not until the next day, when she saw the painting, that I realised what my art is capable of. I saw all her insecurity going away. As she put the T-shirt on, she became a confident, strong woman who believes in herself and that she is capable to achieve everything she wants.
I discovered the power of my art and realised that I want to “free-up” more people. And so Thinkover was born. To allow and inspire us to be free to be ourselves and at the same time accept others the way they are.
What is it about Nottingham that made you want to live here?
I love the community vibe. There are so many creative people who do the things they love and help each other to progress.
How did you become involved with Studio Seventeen?
I was stage managing The Damn Heavy in a gig last year – that’s where I met with Gareth. We started to talk and found out he helps run the creative design studio and at the time I was looking for an internship related to design. Perfect “coincidence”.
What was the inspiration behind the desk that you painted for us?
The artist who owned the space before left a huge mess on the floor and on the table. Instead of getting rid of all the paints and mess (which maybe wouldn’t even be possible) I used this kind of chaos as an inspiration for my artwork. The method I used called Drip Painting, which is a form of abstract art. The painter drips the paint on the surface, let it become a form free from obstacles, led only by the action and the movement of the artist’s hand, who can express a lot of emotions but gives the opportunity to the viewer to interpret the painting the way he wants.
What do you like to do outside of Thinkover?
I love going to gigs and listening to music. Doing sports like running and yoga. Meeting with my friends. Travelling! Always discovering new places and cultures. Being with my boyfriend. Watching movies. Visiting exhibitions. Reading and learning.
Fun/little-known fact about you
I have a small scar on my side body, thanks to a fun night with some friends when I thought I could jump over a tree.
What’s your favourite colour?
Eggplant purple.
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
I would love to go to Asia and meet with people who are making fabric for the fashion industry. Maybe India would be the first country as it also attracts me as a culture.
What animal would you likely be compared to?
Some people say I am like a rabbit because of the veggies they see me eating all the time haha. But I guess I am more like a cat with a soul of a dog.
What album would you put on our jukebox?
Shall I say The Damn Heavy? ? Haha, I actually really love their music, but maybe it’s a bit weird listening to your own music when you are working, I think you cannot concentrate much because you always go like “oh that chord wasn’t right” or something like that. I am now reading a book about Oasis so let’s put them on!
