Meet August Ward

August Ward is a 22-year-old artist living and studying in Auckland. Her paintings, recently exhibited through the newly founded gallery Lover, showcase her essence of the sensational and muted remains of femme consumerist culture. Parisa Torkaman sat down with August to chat about the materialist and art world—which she channels through her essence and heels oh so well.

Photography: Olivia Renouf, on location at Lover during August’s exhibition Transvestite Paintings.

Parisa Torkaman: Favourite season of Housewives and why?

August Ward: Season six of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, because of Yolanda Foster.

How did your love for art start? What was your first painting?

I was always artistic as a child so I'm not sure what my first painting was, but I believe it might have been of my guinea pigs Owen and Lance. I'm not sure though, I would have to ask mum. I was mostly interested in drawing plants and animals, especially birds, as a child. My current interests probably began when I was allowed to watch daytime TV at my dad's house. I was horrified and obsessed with the Oprah show and The View, and my drawings shifted to the women that I saw on the TV. I was fixated on them and how glamorous and different their lives were from mine.

Your show at Lover was a great success, how do you feel about selling your work to a random vs a family member or close friend?

I like it most when my family members buy my paintings because I still get to see them.

What is your favourite medium and why?

I don't know! Probably the silly polaroids that I take, or else oil paint. I like polaroids because they are so direct, and I love the colours. They really help me pick the colours and compositions for lots of my paintings without having to think too hard. I like oil paint because it's so thick.

How would you describe your work to someone who hasn’t seen it?

I think that JJ was being a bitch when he called my paintings bimbo paintings, but I honestly think he's right. What can I say? I'm a bimbo and I do bimbo paintings.

What does a typical day look like for August Ward?

That usually depends on whether I'm hungover or not. On a normal day I wake up quite early (like 7 or 8) and spend quite a while getting ready. I always think of my outfit the night before, but I still spend some time doing my makeup and hair. I usually listen to Madonna or Ariana Grande and watch clips from that day's episode of The View and think about how I miss Meghan McCain. After that I will usually go into Elam [School of Fine Arts] and bother my friends, or do some painting, or mess around in the wood workshop (my favourite thing to do). At lunchtime I will either eat at the subway or go out to lunch with my grandma who works at the university. We go to lunch about once a week. After this I will either go back to Elam for a while, or go home and have a nap, then start getting ready for whatever I’m doing in the evening.

If I'm hungover I will usually ask my dad for $5 to buy a value range pepperoni pizza from Dominoes, and if I have more money I will add jalapeños and more pepperoni. Once I've had my pizza I will sleep all day. I feel like I probably do this twice a week and it's good for balancing out my more productive days.

If you could paint/create anything, what would it be?

It would be a round table daytime TV show, where women from different political backgrounds discuss politics and pop culture news.

What inspires you the most?

Aside from the obvious influences of reality TV and hot bags and shoes, I would say that I get the most inspiration as well as input and advice from my family members, especially my mum and sister. I am also constantly inspired by my friends when they do, say and wear things that I find unexpected or funny.

What does your dream date look like?

I like it on Real Housewives when they have a big important anniversary or something and they do a really special intimate date with their husbands, but the whole thing is filmed by a camera crew and they are acting. I feel like Kyle Richards and Tamra Judge have been forced to film so many of these scenes.

Your favourite book? Your favourite quote?

I can't really think of my favourite book right now, but I like celebrity autobiographies. Recently I read Lady in waiting by Anne Glenconnor, who was Princess Margaret's lady in waiting for like 50 years or something. I can't remember a quote but my favourite part was when they went to Australia and Princess Margaret was being difficult and wouldn't walk on sand or hold a koala.

Your favourite perfume?

I wear Chanel no.5 which I really love, I think in part because of childhood associations of my granny wearing it, as well as smelling it from those tear away perfume samples in magazines and thinking that it was the fanciest smell I had ever smelled. I also love Chanel no.19, Mademoiselle and Noir, as well as Miss Dior.

If you won the lotto right now what would you do in the next 24 hours?

I would buy Eiko a drink.

If you could collaborate with anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Ahh I don't know, maybe Joan Rivers.

Your goal(s) for the next year?

Make a reality TV appearance.

Any last words?

Not that I can think of.