A delicate homage to plants
- Anne is a London-based botanic calligrapher
- Her banners merge traditional Japanese calligraphy and contemporary techniques
- The themes in her work are conscious spontaneity, environmental awareness and plant preservation
Walking into an exhibition of Anne McKenzie’s works feels like stepping into a beautiful garden. Her objects are peaceful and reflective, they play with light and sway gently with a breeze. Anne creates unique banners that bring together the observational skills of botanical art and the emotional responsiveness of centuries-old Japanese calligraphy. As a canvas, she uses paper made from the unbleached fibres of mitsumata and kozo plants, in true Japanese tradition. Anne studied fine arts at Rhodes University in South Africa, and pursued a postgraduate art psychotherapy degree at the University of London. She started her professional activity in 2015 and is based in London. Her banners can be hung both as standalone pieces and as installations.
Interview
- Did you learn your craft from a master?
- I learned shodo, Japanese calligraphy, from Nohoh, a kakejiku and shodo practitioner and lecturer. My first degree emphasised academic western drawing skills from life and classical sculpture casts. My postgraduate diploma gave me emotional insights into making.
- What are your prime sources of inspiration?
- London’s Kew Gardens with its global range of plants and trees as well as its contribution to preserving the environment is a great inspiration. Visual meditative traditions where every brushstroke matters are important to me as this focus leads to un-self-conscious expression.
- Is there a special moment in your professional life?
- Creating and installing the Himalayan Birch ‘forest’ with Design Nation for London Craft Week. It was such a joy to see so many people moving through and responding to the banners and experiencing the feelings that I have when I am brushing the pieces.
- What defines your work?
- I love visual and emotional communication through making and the community this creates. I would like people to experience moments of peace when they see my installations, and discover and reflect on the beauty and importance of the plant world.
Anne McKenzie is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2015
Where
Anne McKenzie
