Yes: our second drop just went live! And we’re extremely proud we’ve been able to team up with artist Maus Haus. With 225K followers on Instagram, Australian based Maus Haus is extremely popular. Not long ago she was having a fulltime job, but thanks to her sensational artworks she’s publishing on Instagram, she recently left her successful design career to focus exclusively on her artwork!
Maus Haus’s earthy tones and eye-catching color combinations have proven incredibly popular with audiences online. She likes experimenting and playing around with different mediums, styles and/or techniques. This is in line with her collab with Face This: “I loved the idea of taking on another child’s work and interpreting it in my own style, it’s something I had never done before. Then what made me want to join was that it goes towards helping these children,” Maus Haus says. Read the full interview we did with her and most of all: go see the amazing artwork she created for us. This collab is printed on tees, sweater and tote bags!
Face This: Can you tell us something about your cultural background? Where did you grow up? Did you always like to draw?
Maus Haus: “I was born in Australia and grew up in the northern beaches of New South Wales. I remember being quite young and drawing with my parents, which I think is what made me love it so much. Ever since, they have always encouraged my creativity.”
Face This: Is there one drawing that you can recall from your childhood? What was it about?
Maus Haus: “I can only remember an Alice in Wonderland colouring-in book that I took very seriously. But, the thing was my dad had bought some really nice Derwent coloured pencils for my birthday and this particular colouring-in book was the “special one” that I had to use the pencils properly in. I had to make sure I stayed within the lines and used the appropriate colours.”
Detail shot of the Maus Haus x Face This collaboration.
Face This: Are there specific moments in your life that made you decide to become an artist?
Maus Haus: “I don’t recall any specific moments but I guess I always wanted to be. I remember drawing a lot and people around me commented that I should become an artist. However, I would also hear how hard it is to become an established artist and that you can’t make much money from it for a long time – you would be struggling. Throughout highschool and university I dabbled in different creative fields to fulfill that side of me. Once my work started to be noticed on social media and I was being approached for collaborations in 2020 I thought this would be a great opportunity to be a full time artist.”
Face This: What do you like most about being an artist?
Maus Haus: “I love making my own interpretations of the world and having it emotionally reach other people.”
Face This: What is the biggest challenge for you, being an artist?
Maus Haus: “Staying creative and fresh is always a challenge, especially with social media being the main part of showcasing/marketing my work. It can be so grueling at times, it’s a full time job in itself.”
Face This: As an artist, do you have any dreams? Are there some goals you would like to achieve? Is there something you’re building up for?
Maus Haus: “I have dreams of different projects that I would like to do like making an album cover for a band/musician I admire, or doing a large scale mural in my city. Ultimately I’m looking forward to seeing how my style develops throughout time.”
Face This: Pablo Picasso once said: ‘Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up’. How do you remain an artist? And do you have tips for non-artists to cultivate their inner child?
Maus Haus: “I really think experimenting and playing around with different mediums, styles and/or techniques will always keep you inspired and engaged with art in a new way. Children don’t have many expectations when it comes to creativity, they just go for it, and I think we should maintain that when we need that spark.”
Face This: You designed an artwork by using some of our Indonesian childrens drawings. With the proceeds of your artwork, we will be able to provide the kids you’ve collabed with a playground. How important is playfulness for you as an artist?
Maus Haus: “Going off my previous answer, I think playfulness is really important. I think it is a very useful tool to get out of an artist’s block, trying to find some new inspiration for a specific work, or to loosen up.”
The Maus Haus x Face This sweater in full effect! Photo: 4 Eyes
Face This: When we reached out to you, what made you want to join?
Maus Haus: “I loved the idea of taking on another child’s work and interpreting it in my own style, it’s something I had never done before. Then what made me want to join was that it goes towards helping these children.”
Face This: When you received the drawings, what was your first reaction? What did you see in them? Can you describe them a bit for us?
Maus Haus: “It was very cool seeing the characters that the children would come up with, and the little scenarios they would put them in. I saw a great appreciation for their friends, family and nature.”
Face This: Which drawings did you use to create your artwork with (you can refer to the drawings by using the file names)? And why did you pick these?
Maus Haus: “I chose Zulhandi’s drawing (Kindertekeningen Duduk Atas 2008-15). I can never pass up a cool mountain range, and Zulhandi was so detailed in the ridges of the mountain, it was so much fun to play around with.”
The Maus Haus x Face This T-shirt and tote bag
Face This: To conclude, is there something you would like to say to the kids who made the drawings you’ve worked with?
Maus Haus: “You’re so creative and detailed in your work and I hope it’s something that you keep doing in the future!”
Maus Haus’ artwork is available on tees, sweaters and tote bags. Go grab one as the proceeds support the Indonesian school from the kids who made the drawings.
