Aj Duncan is a 23 year-old freelance illustrator, currently based in the East End of Glasgow. She creates Digital Illustrations that she sells through small business platform; Etsy. Aj has also worked with the Glasgow Guardian to create artwork for their articles and has attended many local Glasgow and Edinburgh markets that champion small businesses and creatives.
When did your love for illustration start?
I’ve always drawn since I was wee, but it was kick started as an adult during the
pandemic as with most people I had a lot of extra time for creating. I ended up buying an
iPad with my furlough money and I remember being so worried that it would be a silly
investment and that I’d get bored of drawing digitally. Fortunately that was not the case
and I’ve pretty much never stopped doing it.
What other creative mediums would you like to explore?
I would love to explore further with pottery and ceramics. Although I love digital illustration
I do miss the feeling of putting something together with my hands. It’s just such a tricky
thing to get into cost-wise, definitely something for the bucket list.
“Has Feminism gone too far”
Your illustration style is definitely recognisable, was this style a conscious decision or did it develop over time?
It was definitely something which developed over time. I think when I started out I was so
worried about having a defined sense of style, but I think it's just one of these things that happens without you realising the more that you create.
What inspired you to start incorporating the demonisation of feminism into your artwork?
When I started creating this line of illustrations I was living with my best friends at
university. So we were living in this hub where we just were constantly discussing
feminism, exchanging ideas and learning together. At this same time when we’d bring
new people into this circle - potential partners, other friends etc - we would continue
speaking about these topics with them, and I’d be so surprised every time that somebody
would speak about feminists as though they were ‘man-haters’ or proper misandrists. I
think I also just quite liked the demon motif and it sort of spiraled from there.
Would you say you’re influenced by current events in your work? For instance women’s rights or LGBTQ+ matters within society?
Absolutely, my undergraduate degree was actually in Politics, and most of what I create
is tied into my own belief system in some way. I often create pieces in response to
current affairs, especially ones that I feel helpless at my lack of power to do anything in
response. I guess illustrating these topics is my own small way of bringing attention to
them, and keeping the conversation going about them.
"I guess illustrating these topics is my own small way of bringing attention to them, and keeping the conversation going about them"
Do you think it is mainly down to the media that people have become disillusioned of what it actually means to be a feminist?
Yes and no. This is something I swing back and forth on a lot. I think on the one hand for
a lot of people if it’s not something that’s being discussed in their social circles or the
content they consume online then its not something they’re going to be thinking about
massively, especially when it doesn’t directly pertain to them. On the other hand, I’m not
sure if pleading ignorance is really a viable option anymore when we are constantly being
shown media from all different circles. I think that if you’re choosing to consume the kind
of media that pushes that angle, that is a choice you’re making.
"On the other hand, I’m not sure if pleading ignorance is really a viable option anymore when we are constantly being shown media from all different circles"
How does your art contribute to breaking down this idea?
My art satirises the idea of feminists as these demonic man-haters, placing them in
everyday situations. The women in my illustrations are typically lounging around,
engaging in everyday activities such as drinking tea or having a picnic with a friend. The
casual settings juxtaposed with the demonised women in my illustrations, highlights the
absurdity of the demonisation and the implication that feminists are simply sitting around
plotting the downfall of men. The idea of my illustrations is to draw attention to the demonisation, in a fun and satirical way, reclaiming that vilified depiction.
Apart from illustrating, what other creative outlets do you think are great for politicising your thoughts?
I think illustration is probably my only political creative outlet. I do paint and mess around with some other mediums in my spare time but the things I make in those settings don’t tend to have much meaning.
If you weren’t creating illustrations, what would you be doing?
Probably (hopefully) using my degree. I have an undergraduate degree in Politics which was always my plan to use, hopefully working for some sort of NGO in a sector I’m passionate about.
What else have you got going on right now? Any creative things in the pipeline?
I’m currently putting together my first exhibition (woohoo!). It’s a creative, feminist exploration into the misconception that “Feminism Has Gone Too Far”. The opening night is July 28th and it’s free to attend- check out my socials for more info!
Quick fire Round
Who would you love to be commissioned by? (famous or not)
Oooh this is a hard one. I would absolutely love to design either tea or craft beer
packaging/branding. I think that would be super exciting.
What is a quote you live by?
I’m not sure I have a particular quote to live by, but I try to look at everything I do through
the eyes of a tourist, romanticising all the little things in my everyday life in the way that
tourists do when travelling.
How do you put your stamp on what you create and life?
I think my stamp on both my art and my life is just a massive over-romanticisation of the
everyday. I think it’s so important to see the beauty in all the little things. That’s why my
illustrations are so colourful - that’s how I try to look at everything.
"I think it’s so important to see the beauty in all the little things"
Check out Aj's Work
Aj's Instagram
Aj's Etsy Store
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