Introducing Abi Aldridge-Apaza

135 artists are taking part in "Inside Job" which takes place on the 7th and 8th of April on Level 6 of Tate Modern. Over the next few weeks The Rebel Magazine will be chatting to some of the Tate staff who are showing their artwork. Today it's the turn of Abi Aldridge-Apaza

Q) Where did you grow up and what kind of education did you receive? "I was born in the suburbs of South West London to English and Peruvian parents. My passion for creating and studying art was strongly encouraged at both my high schools in Ricards Lodge High School and Wallington High School for Girls by some excellent art teachers. I subsequently studied at Byam Shaw School of Art in London for my foundation diploma. And after that, I took a creative shift to study BA Interior Architecture at the University of Brighton. This was an incredibly stimulating experience and my learning of the fundamental forms and structures have recomposed in my surreal and imaginary world."

Q) How long have you been working at the Tate and what's the best show you've seen there? "I was hired by Tate Enterprises to work for the exhibition Matisse: The cut-outs, which was about 4 years ago now! I’ve witnessed many amazing shows but if I had to choose, one of my favourites has probably got to be the ‘Yayoi Kusama’ 2012 retrospective. It was incredible! I loved stepping into her infinitely magical body of work. I felt totally absorbed into the madness of her mind."

Q) What can you tell me about the work you're exhibiting in the Tate Modern show? 'Untitled I’ is a development of a print series I started making for a show last year ‘Without a Map’. It is a risograph print that comments on my obsession with creating imaginary maps and psychedelic landscapes. Deriving from surrealist thinking, each image is a journey into my unconscious mind.

Q) How can people find out more about your work - do you have a website or do Instagram? Yes, my Instagram is @abicubicado and email: abita.aldridge@gmail.com I’m also developing my website which will be going live very soon. Drop me an email in the meantime! Q) Do you have a favourite quote, thought or joke you'd care to share? One of my more recent favourite quotes is by David Lynch: “Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you’ve got to go deeper. Down deep, the fish are more powerful and more pure. They’re huge and abstract. And they’re very beautiful.”

"Inside Job": An exhibition of art by Tate Staff will take place on Level 6 of the Blavatnik Building of Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern