images features Botanical Calamity Design by Peaches+Keen
This Autumn Winter season, we have had the absolute pleasure of working with Melbourne based fluoro duo, Peaches + Keen, to create our event posters. We’ve been obsessed with the intricate work by Lucy Hearn and Lily Daley since we first saw their unique creations at our markets in 2012 (check this out!). Today we chat more with the pair and discover some interesting insights about their process. Catch Peaches + Keen at our Melbourne market in a few weeks!
How would you describe your artistic practice?
Lucy studied gold and silversmithing while Lily’s background is in design. Our work often combines our differing technical experience with our mutual love of nature, colour and creativity. We don’t limit ourselves in what we do, and instead see our work as something that is always evolving based on new developments and inspiration. Currently we are making one-off gold foiled earrings as well as photography and painted artworks based on our deconstructed Botanical Calamity series.
How do you feel your practice has evolved since you began your creative business?
When we began working together Lily was working as a Graphic Designer and Lucy had a one year old daughter. We pulled together an exhibition in less than a month where we made combined works as well as work focusing on our individual skills. Coming on six years later, we currently juggle three kids between us (with another on the way!) as well as our business and personal lives. It is all very intertwined and now everything we make has us both heavily involved throughout the creative process. We often rely on each other to finish an artwork whilst the other makes our combined families dinner!
Image features Botanical Calamity Artwork by Peaches+Keen
image features Botanical Calamity Exhibition by Peaches+Keen
Have you always been on a creative path? How did you find yourselves working as artists?
Our creative studies at university and our long friendship have helped to lead us to where we are today. But we have both always been creative from a young age, we think that for many makers it is in the blood! We’re not happy unless we’re making, it keeps us sane.
What was your inspiration behind the beautiful artwork created for our Autumn/Winter poster?
We wanted to make something really special for Finders Keepers, and knew a really intricate version of our Botanical Calamity designs would look amazing. Each one involved sourcing seasonal leaves, flowers and seedpods based on a colour theme, which we then carefully deconstructed, arranged (very patiently) and photographed.
image feature Gold Foiled Earrings handmade by Peaches+Keen
image features assortment of gold foiled earrings handmade by Peaches+Keen
Describe your favourite creative project to date.
We feel very fortunate that we have been able to do so many things as Peaches+Keen. We’ve had numerous exhibitions with people we admire and taught classes across the country with Megan Morton’s The School. Currently a highlight is making one-off earrings, because it’s like making a new artwork each time and we have had so many technical and creative developments as we evolve our work. And of course, it was super exciting to be asked to create the poster artwork for this season’s Finders Keepers events!
What advice would you give aspiring artists who are looking for a career in the arts?
Always strive to create something different, rather than replicate the work of those you admire or what is on trend. Make good use of social media to share your ideas and connect with other creatives you admire. Make work that you love! And be nice to people 😉
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Image features Botanical Calamity Design Circle by Peaches+Keen