Repetition is king when perfecting your craft. But in the case of textile designer Katherine Jean Plumb, cleverly placed repetition is also the key to a compellingly playful pattern.
For Rainbow of Hope, Evermade's latest artwork series, we came together with Katherine to create a print that re-imagines the rainbow. You can purchase the final arc-inspired piece below - with 100% of profits being donated to NHS Charities Together.
While Plumb’s crisp, joyful patterns may be the perfect fit for domestic spaces, the textile designer is no stranger to working on a grander scale. With an installation at the V&A museum already under her belt, Plumb is taking commercial textile design somewhere altogether new - and we at Evermade are happy to be along for the ride.
Describe your style in 3 words
Colourful, playful, bold
What’s in your art toolkit?
A Dictionary of Color Combinations, paper, scalpel, laptop!
Who was on your playlist whilst working on this project?
I was actually binge-listening to The High Low podcast, but with little blasts of the Allah-Las!
Who are some artists you really admire at the moment?
I love work by Bridget Riley, Ellsworth Kelly, Helen Frankenthaler, and closer to home Kelly Anna and Alice Hartley!
What are the positives you have come across during lockdown and how do you think it will change your point of view in the future?
I think I'm learning to be more content with what I have - this really isn't the hardest thing I've ever had to go through and many people are in far worse situations. When we come out of this, I hope we can all be more appreciative of the little things we would usually take for granted, and the people that make them happen.
What are you looking forward to most when the lockdown is over?
Seeing friends and family, rescheduling postponed trips, and going to the pub!
What's your message to health workers right now?
Thank you for fighting through this, even though you were already over-worked before it began. Thank you for being so strong both physically and mentally, for putting your own lives on the line. And thank you for continuing to do everything you already did in the background - my sister is due to give birth next month, and it means the world to know that she'll be in good hands.
For Plumb’s contribution to Evermade's Rainbow of Hope project, she delivers no less than her signature mastery over form and effect. Inverting the rainbow’s typical colour spectrum, Plumb instead opts for an inky black palette popping with spring florals - a colour choice designed to console anyone longing for the season lost to lockdown. Hidden amongst the flowers, the designer leaves us with an impactful message: “when we work collectively as these flowers are, coming together and keeping apart, we can create something beautiful.”
Jocelyn Plumb’s seasonal spectacle, We Blossom Together, is now available for purchase, with all proceeds going directly to NHS Charities Together.
Katherine's artwork titled We Blossom Together, with 100% profits of art print sales going to NHS Charities Together.
You can check out more of Katherine's work here.
