Artist Spotlight | Amy Wright

Step into the rambling gardens and studio of artist Amy Wright as we proudly reunite, for yet another awe-inspiring collaboration, Surface!

We are so honoured to work with, Amy Wright once again, having first collaborated with Amy in AW21 (you can visit our last Journal entry with Amy here) and it's been an inspiring journey to watch Amy's prolific work evolve and change with the seasons. Amy's work is a true celebration of what art means to her, a world of joy, warmth, exploration, sanctuary, and excitement.

Join us as we immerse ourselves in the captivating world of Amy Wright. It's time to embrace the spirit of Spring with every design and brushstroke from this joyous collection.

Photo's by Photographer Jessica Tremp when Emily visited Amy's home in Cere's, Victoria.

Artwork featured: For LHS Curatorial and Co and RHS Brunswick Street Gallery.

You’ve created such a rich home and garden studio life. Where did your vision for the spaces in your home come from and how does each place make you feel?

I love to surround myself with plants and flowers. They are my main source of inspiration. I have always attempted to bring nature indoors. One of my little secret Nanna desires is to have a conservatory brimming with begonias, geraniums and pelagoniums. I have lived in many different homes around the world over the years and the common element is always making my immediate spaces a ‘sanctuary’. Being a full time painter, means I spend my working week largely on my own. I am a collector; of books, objects, plants. These inanimate objects create a familiarity in my spaces. I surround myself with things that inspire me. Having the incredible opportunity to drive the interior design of our home- thanks Steve for trusting me! - my starting point was, being resolute with everything that I brought into the house; the textures, the patterns, surfaces, objects; all have to be things I loved. I know it sound rather daggy to say ’to spark joy’, but that was indeed my selection process. I trained as a textile designer, so I am inherently drawn to pattern, colour and textures, and I definitely fit in the maximalist bucket! Even now as I sit here and look around me, every vantage point makes me happy! From the plum red side table and the green and blue curtains in the living room that mimic the colours in the potted begonia at their feet; to the blue anodised bar stools in the kitchen that glow gold in the sunshine against a backdrop of green and gold marbled wallpaper! We have family living in the UK and endeavour to get back there yearly. We try to visit somewhere new in Europe, and many ideas I gleen from these travels.

Artwork featured; front on piece for UK Circle contemporary gallery and artwork for LHS Curatorial and co.

Can you share five words that capitulate what art means to you?

Joy, Warmth, Exploration, Sanctuary and Excitement.

Artwork feature for: centre at front Curatorial and co.

We love the use of the word Wunderkummer in explaining your canvases of work! What would you fill your own Cabinet of curiosities with?

All the things in my paintings! Shells, stones, leaves, sticks, moss, mushrooms, lichen, butterflies, tree bark samples, pressed plants, textile remnants, black and white photographs, books, plants. The contents of my home!!

Featured: Surface garments hanging in Amy's studio.

Artwork featured: Background centre for Curatorial and co.

Can you describe the artworks we’ve used in this collaboration?

The prints are watercolour drawings of a collection of incredible coloured flowering plants, the hot pink Honeysuckle Fuchsia (Fuchsia triphylla) and the yellow Daisy like flower of Lemmon’s Marigold (Tagetes lemomonii). Both of these plants flower wildly in my rambling - and at the moment, somewhat, overgrown garden.
My garden is somewhat like my home and studio and is filled with plants I love, rather than plants that fit within any sort of garden trend. I cannot resist a cutting, so many plants are propagated from these cuttings and are planted in a rather haphazard manner. But as a result I have the most magical flowers all year through. This past year I have spent more time admiring the changes in seasons and delighting in the floral surprises, and have enjoyed working on paper with a still life approach.

Where will Spring find you this year?

Venice! And Cornwall. Hopefully returning home just in time to swoon over my much loved lilac tree coming into flower!

Pictured, Nancybird founder Emily Wright sitting with Amy.

Nancybird is based on the banks of the Merri Creek, on the stolen lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, whom we acknowledge as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, recognising their continuing connection to land, waters, and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders, past, present, and emerging, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples today and every day.