Introducing Natasha Vassiliou

Over 150 artists are showing their work in The Tate Staff Biennale which will take place on the last week of August on Level 5 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 we say Hello to Natasha Vassiliou...

Where did you grow up and what kind of education did you receive? "I was born in London and grew up in Cyprus. While studying for my A Levels, I also worked amongst other practicing artists connected to the Cyprus College of Art. After moving to the UK, I took a foundation course at Central St Martins (UAL) and then a BA in Graphics and Media Design in Advertising at LCC (UAL). Realising I wanted to take a different direction with my work, I studied for a Graduate Diploma in Photography at LCC and then a Postgraduate diploma in Fine Art at Chelsea (UAL)."

How long have you been working at the Tate and what's the best show you've seen there? "I started working at Tate in late 2012 for the Pre-Raphaelite exhibition. There are endless exhibitions I have seen at the Tate, but my favourite works were the ones exhibited in the Turbine Hall such as the Weather Project (the sun installation) by Olafur Eliasson and Marsyas (the red horn installation) by Anish Kapoor. My favourite spaces are the Tanks and the Turbine Hall."

What can you tell me about the work you're exhibiting in the Tate modern show? "I will be exhibiting one photograph from a series of twenty-four called Nostalgia, which documents a journey through Cyprus and captures the emotions in the form of dream-like images. Inspired by Andrei Tarkovsky’s polaroids, this series is a result of a developed passion for mood, colour and distorted imagery.Using movement, light, expired film and a 120-degree rotating lens camera, the photographs have an appearance of liquid colour or paint. Apart from the removal of dust and sand particles, visible on the images, no other post production was used on this series of photographs.The whole series will be available to view on my website from August."

How can people find out about your work - do you have a website or do Instagram? "I am currently working on my website, which will be available from August @ www.natashavassiliou.com You can also find me at my Instagram account @natasha.vassiliou

What's the best thing about working at the Tate? "Other than the artwork and the books, the Tanks is where you’ll find me when I'm not working."

The Tate Staff Biennale 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