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The art of adding sparkle

Model Lillie Bernie has built a business selling artworks via Instagram

June 3, 2021 15:49
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4 min read

For self-taught artist and model Lillie Bernie, social media has been a game-changer.

It has given the 27-year-old the opportunity to promote her work, free from the snobbery and sleaze she says she experienced in an industry tainted by “money and power”. Since she has made use of Instagram to sell her abstract canvases and personalised glitter prints, business has never been better — particularly over the pandemic.

“Instagram has made my career,” she says. “I would not have been able to do this without it. There is a lot of negative press around social media, but if you use it properly it’s great.

“It has made me self-sufficient. I don’t have to deal with the schmoozing or flirting, which is unfortunately part of the art world. All I wanted was freedom, without relying on an art dealer telling me what to do.”