Concrete Playground

Artist Profile: Kevina-Jo Smith

Kevina-Jo Smith explores utopia, discovery, frailty and protection through patterns and repetition, drawing on native and exotic flora and fauna...

Can you explain the senses of magic, myth and symbolism in your work?

I often combine all those things, and more, into a bit of a fantasy landscape. In my last solo exhibition at Black & Blue Gallery there was a lot of reference to the 'tree of life' and the importance of the canopy, and I made Australian endangered flora and fauna super hero outfits.

Texture is also huge part of what you do: what technical practices do you draw into your work?

The pieces for that last exhibition were made from knitting, weaving, braiding, knotting, drawing, painting, carving, machine sewing and hand sewing. All very repetitive and laborious activities.

How important for you is the physical process of making so many detailed pieces?

My process is very labour intensive, obsessive and repetitious. People are often suggesting that I get things printed or made by machine, but I could never let go of the process... It is a huge part of why I do what I do.

By Trish Roberts