Tell us a little about your practice. 
NG: I’m an animation director. My chosen techniques are stop-motion and 2d drawn animation. I’ve grown up in a theatre family. My dad was a theatre technician and my mum is an actress and I think you can see that influence in my work. It’s staged and I love seeing “in camera” transitions between sets. My day to day is a combination of independent projects and commissioned work such as commercials, title sequences and animation sequences in live-action films. Sometimes I make animations completely on my own in my space at Phoenix and sometimes I work with big teams in different studios.

What are you working on at the moment?
NG: I’m working on several projects at the moment. I’m currently in the development stage of a feature-length stop-motion film about the pigeons in Amsterdam. I’m also working on a commercial for Whiskas and, the biggest project this year, which will be my new short film that will combine live-action and stop motion.

What is your process for creating a new piece of work? 
NG: The process of creating new work depends very much on the type of project. Most of my inspiration comes from other art disciplines such as photography, paintings, documentaries and theatre. Often one image can spark an idea for a whole world. I am continually doing character research! I love to watch how people walk and I am fascinated by subtle mannerisms. A lot of my work has been without dialogue so those gestures and movements are important in my storytelling.

You joined the studios here in 2020. How have you found working out of a studio at Phoenix Art Space?
NG: Being an animator can be isolating at times and it’s been wonderful meeting other artists. It’s very inspiring to see the work of others and it helps me look outside of my comfort zone. I can’t wait for the open studios to see behind all the closed doors and to say hello to the people I haven’t met yet.