Meet Adrianne Dimitrakakis
We’re excited to introduce Adrianne Dimitrakakis, one of the talented artists featured in our Ola Mexicola Art Series. Adrianne’s work beautifully blends vintage aesthetics with vivid colours, evoking memories of travel, discovery, and the simple pleasures found along the way.
We caught up with Adrianne to learn more about her creative journey, her approach to colour and texture, and how Mexico has left a lasting mark on her artistic practice.
Can you tell us a little about your background and how you came to be an artist?
I used to work in marketing for a surf company, which meant a lot of travel to remote islands for shoots and surf trips. I was always sketching, taking photos, and collecting little details along the way. I loved worn walls and old signs with texture. I started painting in 2021 and did an art residency in Greece in 2022. When I came home, I did my first exhibition with my new style of painting, and it grew from there. My work is really about capturing those memories of travel and culture using worn textures and bright colours to tell stories and create keepsake moments.
How would you describe your artistic style or philosophy?
I’d describe my style as nostalgic and story-driven. I’m drawn to things with a past life—weathered textures, old signs, and objects that carry the marks of time—and I combine those with bold colours and fonts. Travel is a big influence, so my work often reflects the places I’ve been and the small details I’ve noticed along the way. My philosophy is about capturing memories in a new way and those simple pleasures. When an idea comes, I have to see it through in a way, and if it changes and evolves, then it’s for the better. I like to create art that feels like a keepsake from a journey while also finding ways to give back to the places and communities that inspire me and give me so much. Much of what I do, I guess, or where I'm moving to, is learning about other places too.
What inspires your creative process day-to-day?
Day-to-day, I’m inspired by simple things – looking through old books, with old fonts or photos of places from an older time. I find being in nature, particularly the ocean and surfing, to be a nice time for my mind to go quiet so then ideas can reveal themselves to me.
How did the Ola Mexicola brief and its Mexican influences inspire your work?
Mexican influence has had a big part in inspiring my work from the beginning—the textured walls of colourful towns, the art murals—I love the bright, festive, and boldness of it all. I travelled there in 2017 and fell in love with many of the simple aspects of it.
Did you draw on any particular elements—colour palettes, textures, architecture or culture—from Mexico when creating your pieces?
Absolutely, all of it. I think that’s what makes it so special. Its bright and boldness isn’t just confirmed by the architecture or colours of the buildings, it's the people and their way of life, food, celebrations– the culture of the people.
What story or mood do you hope your work brings to this collection?
Happiness and light-heartedness of it all. The bright, the bold, and the fun – as well as being good luck omens.
What role does colour play in your work and how do you decide on your palettes?
Colour is everything in my work; it sets the mood and brings the story of a place to life.
I take on the palettes from the world around me. I’ll pick out some colours from many different things that appear. Whether it's a colour for the base of an artwork or a highlight on a painting, that one colour can change the whole painting and the feel of it.
Where do you imagine your Ola Mexicola piece living—in what kind of space or setting?
I’d love the piece to find their people and the space they’re supposed to be in. Someone who loves travel and colour; maybe a mid-century-inspired setting. That’s the cool thing when receiving an image of where a piece has ended up, it’s like the final piece of the puzzle.
How do you hope people will feel when they live with your artwork?
I’d like people living with my work to feel happy, fun, and good energy from the painting. I believe paintings are a part of your personality coming out – as a buyer as well as the artist. It’s the quickest way for someone else to see what you're about.
If you could spend a day in Mexico, where would you go and why?
Planning on it next year! But for a day, I think Oaxaca City would be amazing. To get lost in the streets, experience the food, and people-watch. Or a close second is La Saladita.
Name three words that sum up the feeling of Ola Mexicola for you.
Bright. Colour. Contrast.
Explore the Ola Mexicola Art Series and discover Adrianne’s exclusive works, created in celebration of this new collection.
