5 Creative Questions with… Evi O

I first learned about the existence of Evi O when she was a judge of the Little Things Art Prize and I was one of the finalists, back when it was on show at Saint Cloche in Paddington. Her name stood out to me, being so cool - it sounds like a brand and has a real ring to it, like 'Madonna'. That year, I had painted an oversized roll of haw flakes, a type of Chinese candy that tastes like plum. I didn't expect to get into the art prize as a finalist with a type of sweet that isn't particularly well-known in Australia (at least two people asked if I'd painted ham). I was told, later, that Evi knew exactly what haw flakes were. Fast forward to 2025 - I went to Cao Fei's major exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW. 'My City Is Yours' made my head spin with its big ideas that wildly expand out what art is, what art can be. Evi designed the dazzling tome that accompanied the show: super slick shiny cover; witty layout that begins with 'press start' in a nostalgic Windows 95 kind of way; retro futurism that captured a sweet spot in my brain. After I got the book unwrapped, with some trepidation (it was so beautiful in its plastic), I snapped a selfie with my face in its silver cover, the book being a mirror of sorts, placing me within Evi's typography, positioning me inside Fei's world before I opened it.

Evi O. Image supplied.

Evi O is the 49th in my series of creatives to take five questions.

When my creative process is stuck, I reach for... space. I've learned to leave things when flow doesn't come naturally.

The weirdest thing about being a creative human is... that enough is never enough. But it's OK that things are never enough, that just means you're constantly thriving for more, more experiments, more change, more adventures.

The most unusual object in my house is... a steam deck – but maybe it's not that unusual. A collection of goth clothes from when I was 17, and it still features on the right night.

I celebrate my achievements by... patting my own back quietly, and then I call my favourite humans and continue life. I think the people you can call on are your best achievements :-)

Something in the world that already exists that I wish I had created is... a plane, or the internet. I'm obsessed with technology that let me explore beyond my human limits.

Find out more about Evi O through her websites and follow her on Instagram.