Seemingly by accident, Tali Lennox became London’s most sought-after model as a newly-minted teen socialite. Not content to find success simply for being the daughter of a famed musician, Lennox took a risk and proved her mettle, leaving home behind just as her burgeoning career was coming to a head. With nothing but artistic aspirations and a couple of suitcases, Lennox ditched her hometown of London two years ago for New York City – and the 21 year-old’s gutsiness has more than paid off.
“I moved because I wanted to start life somewhere totally independently,” Lennox remembers. “I literally arrived with two suitcases, no home and less friends than I could count on two hands.” And while the transition was tough, Lennox learned quickly to become self-reliant, living by a personal mantra to, she says, “’Follow the light’ – I have it tattooed on my arm incase I forget!”
With a thriving modeling career from age 17, that included coveted campaigns for Burberry, Topshop and Acne among others, Lennox has currently put her life in fashion on hold to pursue painting – yet credits her modeling experiences with building her sense of independence. “If you use it in the right way modeling is such an adventure of dress up and fun! Now my focus is on my art, where I can realize my vision rather than being part of someone else's on a shoot.”
While pursuing painting as a profession came about recently, art has always been a fixture of Lennox’s life and upbringing. “I can't remember a time when I didn't pick up a pencil and get lost in focus – it’s like meditation,” says Lennox. “I'd get in trouble for completely cementing my school books in doodles. When I create I feel my tension release, I’m connected with myself, and the high I feel after completing a piece I'm happy with is a feeling I can't find anywhere else.” But the highs don’t come without lows – as any budding artist will attest. “The biggest challenge artists struggle with is self doubt,” reveals Lennox, “and the exhausting ups and downs that have you thinking 'I'm amazing' to 'I'm shit' ridiculously rapidly.”
Finding inspiration for her self-described “realistic” paintings is easy – a stroll around Lennox’s TriBeCa neighborhood, or old East Village haunts, and taking in the “mad, whacky, beautiful, dirty” charm and magic of New York never fails to ignite her creativity. Viewing painting as an avenue to connect and communicate with people in an unconventional way, the free-spirited Lennox explains that through her art she “wants to share a window into the authentic characters I have met that have inspired me. You have all the control when you paint, every movement and stroke comes from you. Each piece is a different experience, and there is never not something to paint.”
2015 has proven a good year for the emerging artist, who has booked her first solo show in SoHo, New York, opening mid-March. “My upcoming solo exhibition has let me take my passion to a new level,” Lennox enthuses. “That a gallerist would invest in me means so much, especially as I will be the youngest artist to ever show at this space. The process leading up to the show has been amazing and uplifting. All the people I have met, and intimately captured through my paintings, has been an life-changing experience in itself.”
DOWNTIME: “I like to keep it simple. Cooking at home with my boyfriend, taking long walks through the city and people watching is really the nicest way to spend time. It's the little things like going to pick out books at the library or watching an inspiring documentary at home in bed, those are things that make me feel content. And yes I am totally aware that I sound completely middle-aged for a 21 year old!”
NEW YORK LIFE: “It’s such a melting pot of cultures and aesthetics, when you're outside there’s always something mad, whacky, beautiful and dirty going on. A simple 20 minute stroll feels like an inspiring adventure, it's hard not to feel constantly entertained let alone inspired. What I love about New York, amongst many other things, is how many amazing pockets and gems there are stacked up in one very small city. All the neighborhoods have their own charm and magic.”
PERSONAL STYLE: “I’m nostalgic, and always take inspiration from the past. If I'm making an effort then it's great to play with vintage prints and hats. And I always wear color.”
MORNING RITUAL: “A large coffee and some Miles Davis.”