Meet Our Members: Maddie Tichborne
When Creative Opps member Maddie Tichborne talks about her work, it’s less about single objects and more about whole worlds. A multimedia artist from London, Maddie moves fluidly between painting, sculpture, film, and installation, creating immersive environments that ask us to look twice at the everyday. By projecting films onto sculptural forms built from discarded materials, she transforms the overlooked into luminous, dreamlike artefacts — dissolving the boundaries between painting, cinema, and architecture.
Part 1
Who are you, and how would you describe your creative practice? Hi, I’m Maddie Tichborne, a multimedia artist from London. I work across painting, sculpture, film, and installation to create immersive environments that you can step inside — spaces that invite you to look twice at the world around you and question what you take for granted.
To make my film pieces, I collect archival footage from television, film, media, art, and news, collaging it into open-ended stories. These fragments are layered with my own ‘moving paintings’: colour that shifts, warps, and drifts across the image, creating a dreamlike, hypnotic surface.
I project these films onto sculptures built from discarded materials like rubbish or concrete. These once-overlooked objects become strange, luminous artefacts, transformed through light, colour, and moving image. Ultimately, I’m creating kaleidoscopic worlds of paint and colour — immersive spaces where the familiar feels unfamiliar, and the everyday is briefly transformed into something extraordinary.
What drew you to this field? My roots are in painting, but I soon felt the need to move beyond the flat surface, to create a kind of three-dimensional painting people could physically enter. I’ve always gravitated towards rubbish and unconventional materials — not just for their links to consumerism, but because discarded objects, stripped of value, let me question beauty, worth, and permanence.
At the same time, my confusion and sadness about the state of the world pushed me to collect archival footage. I weave these fragments into abstract narratives that touch on climate change, technology, AI, robotics, and gender roles. Working with moving image lets me pose questions without forcing answers — inviting viewers to consider complexities for themselves.
What’s something you’re working on right now that excites you? Right now, I’m working on a film project for Creative Opps around the theme of inclusion. It’s a collaborative piece where I’m inviting other artists to respond to archival footage I’ve gathered, each interpreting it through their own medium. I love the unpredictability of this process — the way different voices and perspectives will collide, overlap, and reshape the work.
Who or what is inspiring you lately? I find inspiration everywhere, but recently Theaster Gates’ exhibition at the White Cube really stood out. I love how politically engaged yet materially playful his work is, always pushing the boundaries of what art can be.
I’ve also been inspired by summer music festivals — those moments when people step out of everyday life into a shared sense of wonder. That energy, that otherworldliness, is something I’d love to capture in my work.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out? Just go for it. Don’t be afraid to fail. Collaborate, because you’ll learn and stay motivated through others. Be ready for rejection, and have patience — the art world is competitive. And importantly: it’s okay to take breaks. Stepping away doesn’t make you less of an artist. Everyone’s journey is different, so don’t compare yourself — especially not to social media.
What does community mean to you in your work or creative life? Community has been essential. The path of an artist isn’t always clear, and the network of collaborators I’ve built has kept me connected to my practice. During COVID, I co-founded DEKA Collective with two other women artists. DEKA promotes emerging talent through podcasts, events, and collaborations — teaching me that community isn’t just support, it’s about creating opportunities for each other to grow. If the community you need doesn’t exist yet, create your own.
What does it mean to be a Creative Opps Member? Being a Creative Opps member has connected me with other artists who are open about their journeys and generous with their knowledge. In an industry that can feel isolating, this has been invaluable.
Through the programme, I’m developing my new film project on inclusion, where I’m inviting collaborators to respond to archival footage in any medium — visual art, dance, spoken word, film, and more. These contributions will form a collage-style fine art film, with a Creative Opps exhibition planned to showcase the work.
If you’re a member and want to get involved — whether creatively, in design, marketing, or exhibition support — I’d love to hear from you.
Big shoutout to Michelle, whose knowledge and support have been invaluable in this process.
Part 2: Key Takeaways from Maddie’s Journey
Transformation as practice: Maddie’s work is rooted in transformation — whether it’s projecting film onto discarded rubbish or layering archival footage with moving colour. By reimagining overlooked materials as luminous artefacts, she challenges ideas of beauty, value, and permanence.
Collage as storytelling: Her film practice uses fragments of television, news, media, and art to form abstract, open-ended narratives. These collages touch on big themes like climate change, technology, AI, and gender roles, while leaving space for the viewer to draw their own conclusions.
Collaboration as catalyst: Collaboration is at the heart of Maddie’s process. She sees it as a way to grow, learn, and push her work beyond her own perspective. Her current Creative Opps film project — inviting artists to respond to archival clips about inclusion — is a perfect example of how she thrives on shared exploration.
Community as creation: From co-founding DEKA Collective during COVID to building new networks through Creative Opps, Maddie has shown that community isn’t just about support — it’s about creating opportunities for each other to flourish. If the community you need doesn’t exist, she believes in making it yourself.
Immersion as invitation: At the heart of Maddie’s work are immersive, kaleidoscopic worlds that encourage people to pause, reflect, and see the everyday from a new angle. Inspired by everything from Theaster Gates’ exhibitions to the magic of music festivals, her goal is to create spaces filled with wonder, possibility, and connection.
Connect with Maddie
🌐 Website: https://maddietichborne.portfoliobox.net
📸 Instagram: @tichbornemaddie
💼 LinkedIn: Maddie Tichborne