“It kind of happened by accident,” painter, sculptor and public artist Abbey Rich tells Broadsheet of their career shift from fashion to art. “I was making clothes for myself and putting them on Instagram and then all of a sudden, I was running a whole clothing label with employees ... But then someone asked me to paint a mural.”
Said mural, painted for Monash University, soon led to a second – an entire shopfront for Aussie eyewear retailer Bailey Nelson on Gertrude Street in Melbourne's Fitzroy. Eight years on, Rich has created dozens of large-scale murals, sculptures and paintings displayed in public spaces and galleries in Melbourne, across Australia and, most recently, Japan.
Known for its vibrant colours, unexpected shapes and abstract illustrations, Rich’s work focuses on infusing shared places with a sense of community and belonging. “The way that we’re able to [exist] in different spaces, who’s allowed in certain spaces, and how these spaces are designed – a lot of my painting comes from that.”
It’s also about “working with people to create public spaces that feel good for them,” Rich says, “so that they feel like they have ownership of [the] space – that’s probably my biggest inspiration.”
Recently returned from a month-long artists’ residency at Iki Base on Iki Island, Nagasaki, Japan, Rich is feeling especially inspired. “This was my first time going overseas by myself and it was just incredible.” They created two murals on the island – one at Iki Base and another at a nearby beach – in collaboration with the mayor and local department of tourism. The latter is a colourful ground painting set against the edge of pristine sand and crystal-clear water. Rich says the beach may be the most beautiful spot they’ll ever paint in.
“I think my work makes a lot of sense there in the way that things are really aesthetic, but they’re also really functional. I find that a really interesting concept; how we make everyday things functional and beautiful at the same time.”
Back home, Rich works out of gallery and communal creative studio Honey Bones in Brunswick, where they paint smaller works – some of which will be exhibited next year at Penny Contemporary in Hobart. On any given day, they might be sketching, sculpting or cycling to meetings to discuss their next project.
Outside of the studio, creating large-scale artwork involves as much hands-on physical labour as it does creativity. “There’s so much physical exercise in my job, I feel like it really makes me healthy,” Rich says. “Every day feels really good. I come in grimy from all the paint, but it just feels like this is what my body wants to be doing.”
One of these recent works is an outdoor spot in Cranbourne in Melbourne’s southeast, combining large areas of painted ground with bespoke floral-shaped chairs and tables. Commissioned by the City of Casey, the bright, pastel-coloured artwork stretches along Hotham Street and brings the entire shopping strip to life. It’s a particularly meaningful project for Rich, who spent their childhood on that side of town.
“Cranbourne’s not far from where I grew up, in Frankston. There was never art, there were never things that were fun, it was just grey.
“Watching kids play on my artwork, watching them be able to engage with art on a day-to-day basis is really special.”
This article first appeared in Domain Review, in partnership with Broadsheet.
