fbpx

Archipro Interview

X March 25, 2021

Off the wall
Limited-edition rug collection is art for your floor.

When one thinks about a piece of fine art one doesn’t automatically think about plopping it down on the floor and walking all over it.

But that’s exactly what New Zealand artist Flox, founder of Haus of Flox, is hoping you’ll do with her latest collection.

“I created my first series of rugs in 2019, in collaboration with Godfrey Hirst,” says Hayley. “We were tasked with creating a series of runners for the ASB Classic in Auckland; for the players to walk on.

“It was a really amazing project to be involved in. I had never even contemplated what a great medium it was to work in. After that experience, I came up with a concept for my own rug collection, incorporating the colourways and designs that made up the artworks from that year—remixes of the existing designs of birds and botanicals, if you will.”

That first collection was released in 2020 and very quickly sold out. Hayley says she’s currently working on the designs for the 2022 collection and that the 2021 collection is available now.

The Rug Collection: taking craftsmanship to a new level

Each collection comprises two designs with only 10 rugs of each design.

“Keeping the collection as a limited edition is very important to me. I like to create pieces that are not available for that long; it makes them all the more special. I view these pieces as a feature artwork for your floor and each rug is hand signed and numbered on the back.”

Circular in the shape, the 1.5-metre rugs, are digitally printed with the designs.

“I hand cut and paint the individual pieces and then take hi-res photographs of each element, which I then scan and upload into photoshop where I play around with the placement until I make a composition I’m happy with. The resulting image is then printed onto the ‘blank’ rug.

“Like all my pieces, nature infuses the designs of these collections; my work is all about conservation and bringing awareness of conservation to the ‘mainstream’. For now, I will be keeping the collections to two designs, although I may look at changing up the dimension or shape. I may also look at producing custom rugs but it’s a very involved process and takes a lot of commitment.

“I find that many of my clients are first-time art buyers. My goal is to create art for the people—artworks that resonate with people like you and me. With these collections, it’s about creating a statement piece, one that will take centre stage, much like a traditional hung piece would do. I believe they’re ideal for people who like to otherwise keep their interior design very simple or minimalist and who look to add a functional, tactile element to offset the rest of the interior design.”

Haus of Flox: art with meaning

Flox says her background is in the Fine Arts and that she stumbled into being a spray paint artist.

“I used a paint brush all the way through art school and then just happened to be in the right place at the right time to transition to using spray paint. I was exploring the use of stencils in my work and then, when the two met—stencils and spray paint—it took off from there. It’s a truly amazing medium to work with.

“It also really suits my process—I like to work fast. I’ll set 10 paintings up and work on them over the course of three to four days.”

As well as working on her commercial pieces, Flox also takes commissions for larger works.

“I’ve just completed a mural down in Bluff as part of the South Sea Spray Festival and the piece is very specific to that community and will hopefully resonate with that community for many years to come. For me, the goal is to balance the commercial side that is the business with the more personal, creative side. Projects such as the Bluff mural project help with that, allowing me to concentrate on creativity—if my creative side isn’t being nurtured then the whole process falls over.

“I want to keep painting big-wall projects but move away from being so stencil focused as it’s incredibly labour heavy, so I’m working on new techniques to work smarter, and not harder. Being a part of the creative industry and meeting like-minded people from all walks of life, revives me.

“I’m nearing 20 years of running the business. I love and enjoy developing products and am always expanding and redefining my work and looking to new inspirations. There is so much talent in New Zealand, yet we really downplay our skill here; my contemporaries are killing it here and overseas.

“My advice to young artists is that you never know what’s around the corner; don’t get too comfortable or too complacent—be adaptable and flexible. These days you don’t have to choose one path. There are no limitations on creativity, be open to opportunities that allow you to cross over to other mediums and art forms.”

 

Originally posted by Archipro
Words by Justin Foote
10 March 2021

 

X

Search our store

My Story

As an aerosol and stencil artist with a fine art degree, Flox has been making her mark on the inner cityscape of Auckland since 2003.

Her trademark native birds, ferns and flowers are a celebration of Aotearoa’s environmental taonga. Using distinctly vibrant and confident colour on a scale combined with delicacy they have magically transformed grey walls into vibrant depictions of the natural world.

Flox swiftly expanded her practice into prints, publications, murals, graphic design, live painting, projects and workshops for both schools and the wider public. She has been involved in numerous collaborations, charity work and both group and solo exhibitions.

Her accessible narratives have broadened the appeal and shaped her into one of New Zealand’s most recognised contemporary artists.

In recent years Flox has focused on refining new ideas, exploring other cultures and pushing her own artistic boundaries. This resulted in a three-month Artist Residency in Taiwan and a journey to Udaipur in India, to expand her international audiences.

Seen everywhere from Berlin, Hong Kong, New York, Taiwan, India and the US, Flox continues spreading her wings and making her presence felt across public spaces and homes worldwide.

X
Flox Portrait