Breaking the Rules and Making It Happen: Hells Gibson on Art, Hustle, and Creative Freedom

Hells Gibson isn’t just an artist - she’s a force of nature armed with paint, persistence, and a knack for making things happen whether she’s invited to or not. She’s worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, but she’s just as happy taking a punt on a fresh-faced graduate with nothing but a dream and a camera. Her creative process? Have an idea, have no idea how to do it, and do it anyway.

In this chat, she talks about the magic of making things up as you go along, why limitations are actually a gift, and how she plans to turn the world pink and gold. It’s brilliant, it’s inspiring, and frankly, it’ll make you want to grab a paintbrush and start pasting things on walls immediately.

You have an extensive background in picture direction and editing for publications such as Grazia, ES Magazine, and The Telegraph’s Luxury magazine. Has this work influenced your creative process as an artist?

I’ve been very lucky to work with some of the biggest photographers, stylists, artists and celebrities in the world, thanks to the work I’ve done for these publications. I’ve been all over the world on shoots, managed large teams of people and thousands of pounds worth of budgets. But I have also done cover shoots for £50 with unknown names, worked with recently graduated photographers, and taken a chance on artists who are just starting out. Its these shoots that have honed my “Del Boy Skills” (as I call them).

I’ve learnt that some of the best ideas come from a lack of time, money or permission, you’ve got to get creative to get the job done, and 9 times out of 10 the result is better than any big budget shoot. Because of this my creative process consists of me having an idea, with no skills or money to do it, but doing it anyway. It’s the process of trying to get an idea out of my head and into reality that is where I get creative; I wanted to make a large-scale clock, did I know how to? No. Did I give it a go? Yes. Did it work? Absolutely not. But from that I came up with a whole new series that I’m now working on.

You've worked on exhibitions like Neville Brody’s Anti Design Festival and curated monthly showcases of female artists at Sadies London. What do you consider when curating art shows, and how do these experiences contribute to your perspective as an artist?

If it’s a group show, my main consideration is theme. I curated a show at The Gallery at The Playroom last February, and Valentine’s Day landed in the middle of the show, so the theme was an obvious one: “WOMEN ON LOVE”. I like themes that are specific to create a strong connection, but not too strict, to give artists space to explore in their own way. That show was a great success because every artist approached it so differently, from self-love (read; wanking), to the love between a mother and child, as well as friendships and romantic relationships. It was a show full of rich feelings, deep emotion and of course great art.

For individual shows, as I did at Sadies’, I wanted to give lesser-known artists space to show their work, and I was particularly keen on artists who had never had a show before. Sadie’s was a wonderful place, with a focus on female-owned / female-forward brands so of course I celebrated that by showcasing female artists.

With all these shows, I want to make art accessible to everyone, and I think that’s a big part of who I am as an artist. I have applied to hundreds of open calls, galleries, group shows, blah, blah, blah, and had not much luck, so I take matters into my own hands. I organise exhibitions, do pop up shows, create DIY spaces, paste my art over the city – if I’m not going to be invited in then I’m going to find another way to get my shit seen, and bring other artists along too.

Your art ranges from witty text pieces to emotionally impactful works. How do you balance conveying personal expression with creating art that resonates with a broad audience?

Ha! Good question… I used to think I was SO unique and different, with such depth that no one would ever understand my emotions. Because of that I didn’t create a lot of pieces, thinking people wouldn’t “get” them. I then did The Artist’s Way with my good friend Rua (who’s a brilliantly enthusiastic, creative firework) and I found out that I’m just like everyone else. We all have the same thoughts, feelings and emotions, we just experience them in different ways. It was Rua that encouraged me to make the pieces I was reluctant to paint, and I ended up exhibiting them all last year.

The show was called “Lovers & Fuckers” and was an exploration of my relationships with men though out my life; exes, partners, one-night stands, lovers, ghosters – you name it, they were in there. Every canvas was very personal to me and my experiences, so I was surprised when each visitor to my show resonated with several (or more) pieces.

I find inspiration from everyday life; watching people, listening in to conversations, talking to strangers – when you really pay attention to people you can find connection in everyone. We’re all living on the same planet, at the same time, seeing the same things, and it’s those similarities that connect us all – I just try to define those similarities through my own feelings, which turns out are not so unique after all!

Looking ahead, are there any new mediums or themes you're excited to explore in your upcoming projects? How do you envision your art evolving in the next few years?

SO MANY!! I have an “I want to do that” attitude every time I see someone making cool art on Instagram. I am learning how to do stained glass at the moment, after spending a day with Dayna Sabatino in her studio in Vermont. She has incredible talent and was an excellent teacher, so I am continuing to learn the techniques by throwing myself in at the deep end by making a big window.

I am also working on a whole new body of work that includes sculptures, reclaimed street signs and found items… it’s a sidestep away from my usual text on canvas pieces, and I’m really enjoying exploring new themes like death, religion, judgement, family and psychology.   

I have huge plans for the next few years with the projects I’m developing. A lot of larger-scale public artworks, as well as working with galleries to produce installation-type exhibitions – the idea is to turn the world pink and gold!

And finally, a question from Dylan, my 5-year-old son: What's your favourite dinosaur?

This is by far the hardest question…

If I can choose a specific dinosaur, it would be Little Foot from my favourite film, The Land Before Time, but Cera is a close second – I love her take-no-shit attitude.

So, I guess I’d say ‘Longnecks’ or Apatosaurus (which I just found out if the correct name for Little Foot’s species).

Follow Hells on Instagram @hellsgibson

Interview by Johnny Larran, 2025.