An Interview With Kate Rohde: Creative Inspiration & Artistic Evolution
In the second part of our interview with Melbourne-based creative artist Kate Rohde, we delve deeper into the moments that have shaped her career so far. From admiring local artists to teaming up with global fashion houses, Kate reflects on her artistic evolution, imparts advice for emerging creatives, and shares her plans for the future.
PO8: As an artist, how do you find and cultivate inspiration in your everyday life and surroundings?
KR: I have quite a large collection of books, mainly nature or art history themed which I turn to for inspiration, plus things I see out and about and on my travels. I often make quick notes or sketches of ideas and sometimes it’ll be several years before I actually use them.
PO8: Can you recall a specific instance where a piece of art from another artist profoundly impacted your own creative journey? What was it about that piece that resonated with you?
KR: I’m not sure if it’s a singular piece, but more a general art practice that was quite influential for me. When I was a very young emerging artist I shared a studio with Lara Merrett for a few years. I really admired her bold use of colour, and particularly the unusual combinations she’d come up with. Up until this time my work was based much more in naturalistic colours, but I think after this time with her I started to embrace bolder colour schemes.
Lara Merrett and her artworks. Images sourced from Sullivan and Strumpf and ArtBank
Kate Rohde's iconic and colourful resin 'Crystal' bangles
PO8: We first noticed your work creating resin runway jewellery for Romance was Born in their 2010/11 SS collection, Renaissance Dinosaur, and have been proudly representing you in our gallery for the past 12 years. How has your artistic practice evolved over this time? Are there specific milestones or experiences that have significantly shaped your style?
KR: I think the main shift is that my work has moved from initially being purely sculptural, to now being mostly functional sculptural wares. The work with Romance Was Born was something of a turning point in this process; various circumstances led me to developing the jewellery first and then the various vessel collections. Probably the next milestone was my vessels being included in Melbourne Now 2013, which led to the Rigg Design Prize 2015 - both events hosted by the National Gallery of Victoria - each of which pushed me to make more ambitious pieces and to develop new techniques and skills.
Backstage at the Romance Was Born Renaissance Dinosaur show
Kate Rohde with Romance Was Born designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales
PO8: What are your aspirations for the future of your artistic career? Are there new techniques or themes you're excited to explore in upcoming projects?
KR: Over the past few years I’ve been collecting as much waste product from the casting process as I can, things like resin residue from mixing containers and unsuccessful casts, etc. This has added up somewhat now, so I’m looking at ways of integrating this back into future pieces, such as faux terrazzo table tops as one example. I’m also looking at using some mixed techniques such as sculpting larger one-off pieces with cast elements rather than a singular large cast.
PO8: For aspiring and emerging artists interested in resin casting and sculptural design, what advice would you give based on your own journey and experiences?
KR: I think one of the best things I’ve found is to experiment and see what happens. A huge difference from when I started is the large amount of information available online to assist with creative projects, but nothing beats actually doing it yourself and learning what works for you.
To see more of Kate's striking and colourful collection, visit her artist page
