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After the exciting interview with Philippa Rice from our current exhibition “The Strange Hearts Club”, we are even more excited to introduce another interview with Cat Rabbit.

If you missed  our interview with Philippa, you can click HERE and visit the interview. Makes “The Strange Hearts Club” is on view through October 4th, 2016.

~Interview with Cat Rabbit.~

Q1- Please tell us a little bit about your background…

I first started making little plush toys for friends when I was studying at university. My interest in textiles grew from there and I began experimenting with embroidery and 3D felt techniques. I am now a full-time practicing textile artist, based in Melbourne, Australia. I make plush sculptural works of my imagined characters and the worlds they might live in. I also make books for Children and other fantastical artworks with my collaborator and good pal Isobel Knowles under the name Soft Stories.

Q2 -What was the first work of art that you saw or experienced that you still remember today? 

I grew up in Tasmania, in a very small country town. Every week, my Mum used to take us to the Launceston Museum and I remember just staring for ages at the detailed dioramas of prehistoric animal habitats and dinosaur bones.

Q3 -Who were your earliest influencers of famous artists or creators? 

Richard Scarry and Beatrix Potter have definitely been my longest serving inspirations! I have many old, battered copies of their books from my childhood that I refer back to over and over again. Their ability to create not only beautiful characters, but worlds for their characters to exist in, is something I strive for myself.

Q4 – Please tell us about your work… What do you make?

I make soft sculptures of my imagined characters using needle felt and 3D felting techniques.

Q5 -What generally inspires or influences you to create your work?

I like to devise new characters all the time! I get an idea in my head or sketch something out and am not satisfied until I work it up into a 3D character.

Q6 -What is the main challenge for you when creating your work? 

I like my work to engage a wide audience, so there are elements that appeal to young children and also an older generation. My main objective when creating new work for exhibition is to incite feelings of comfort, joy and nostalgia – when I make a piece that encapsulates all of these elements, I am satisfied with the work!

Q7 -What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a series of food related characters: a Croissant pâtissière, a Dango delivery person and a Egg headed egg farmer – I am increasingly fascinated by absurd characters made up of inanimate objects, like food, and I’m enjoying experimenting with new and weird themes.

Q8 -What is your dream or goal as an artist in 3 years? 5 years? 

I am addicted to sewing new things, so if I’m still able to do that, then I’ll be happy ^_^

Lastly, Do you have any message to visitors for this exhibition? 

Please enjoy these new characters that Philippa and I have made as part of the Strange Hearts Club! Online dating is a new world of crazy possibility that really fascinates me, and I wanted to explore what my characters would look like if they were plunged in to this world!

-Please tell up what we should check out / should not miss in this exhibition. 

The Koala! I have wanted to make a koala for some time, and it’s one of my favorite new creations (particularly the Rilakkuma phone case).