I am so honoured to share that I was selected as the Visual Artists Association's Member of the Month for December 2025.
The VAA published a full interview with me on their website, and reading it back, I was reminded of just how much has changed over the past year or so. You can read the full piece here: visual-artists.org
In the interview, I talk about my creative journey: from painting in private and not showing anyone my work, to exhibiting at art fairs, curating exhibitions, and launching Touchlines of Fortitude, my project celebrating female resilience through art and sport. I also open up about living with ADHD and how it shapes my practice, the role mentoring has played in my confidence as both an artist and a businessperson, and what it means to finally treat art as my plan A.
Becoming a VAA member has genuinely been one of the best decisions I've made since going full-time as an artist. The online Art Cafe sessions, the courses (particularly Art Sales Academy and Art Curation and Exhibition Management), the Facebook community, and the one-to-one mentoring with Karen van Hoey Smith have all been invaluable. Karen is also the person I have to thank for pushing me to apply for Arts Council England funding for Touchlines of Fortitude. I was speechless when the application was successful.
Being named Member of the Month feels like recognition not just of my work, but of everything that has gone into getting here: the uncertainty, the experiments, the rejection, and the gradual building of a creative community I didn't know I'd find.
If you'd like to know more about my practice, you can visit agalokaj.art or follow me on Instagram at @aga.lokaj.art.
Thank you to the VAA for this wonderful recognition, and to everyone who has been part of this journey.
