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Misery - Tanya Thompson

Miseryland is the website and online store of Auckland, New Zealand-based artist and illustrator Tanya Thompson, aka Misery.

Bio

It was 1982 on a particularly stormy and violent day in Queensland Australia, the sky was crying, the wind was howling, kicking and screaming, a little baby fought its way into the world and Misery was born. A descendant from a long line of creative women on both sides of her family, Misery grew up in a very artistic and inspiring environment that cultivated a daydreamer. Inspired by a healthy diet of old Disney cartoons and Japanese manga, she spent hours drawing detailed characters and dreaming of the complex magical worlds they lived in.

When Misery was 12 she moved with her mother and sister to New Zealand and was later enrolled at Metro College in Auckland where Misery's incredible artistic talent was nurtured further. Obsessed by her art and with the support of her family and teachers, Misery began creating the characters that would develop into the twisted fantasy world that she is now reknowned for. Within a short time Misery had cemented herself as one of the few female artists dedicated to graffiti and street art in New Zealand.

From the very beginning, Misery has managed what all artists aspire to - to consistently sell her work as well as receive critical acclaim from her peers and art critics alike. Vital to her career was the close friendship that she developed with monumental artist (the late) Martin F. Emond who mentored and motivated her to develop her work. With Martin's support, Misery pushed her art into broader areas of fashion and pop culture, most importantly he encouraged her to paint. Since 2004 Misery has had many successful art exhibitions throughout NZ, the United States and Europe, with excited buyers snapping up her original works, quite often selling out on opening night.

2006 was the year things started to truly take flight for the young artist. Sticky Pictures made an award-winning documentary where they followed Misery from her solo art exhibition "Melancholy Pie" in Auckland to Taiwan for the Taipei Toy Fair where she revealed her first toy range with Hong Kong based company Flying Cat. Later that year, Misery teamed up with US bath company Blue Q, to produce the "Cute as Hell" bath range to showcase her twisted sugary delights.

In the auspicious year of 2008 Misery has a lot to look forward to as she launches her .com and premiers "Holly Melancholy and the Night that Saved the Day" at the esteemed Webb's Gallery. Keep in touch and see what other chapters our marvelous Miss Misery adds to her ever-unfolding story.