Kate Lewis processes the news via intricate botanical collages created directly from newsprint.
“This all started Spring 2018 when I could not take any more news. I was going about my daily domestic life: walking the dog, doing a food shop, watching the seasons change while bombs are going off and disasters are happening that I have no relation to or control over.”
– Kate Lewis
Kate found herself—quite literally—dissecting the news;
going back to basics with scissors, newspaper, and glue as a way of processing the state of world affairs. What began as a calming act of low-tech creativity has resulted in a beautifully multilayered and subconscious fusion of nature, current events, design and media.
The flower—a fleeting beauty—signifies places and seasons. They are present for all of our major life events: births, deaths, weddings, birthdays.
At first glance, you see a beautiful image of a flower, but upon closer examination the story emerges—fragmented pieces of history, staccato words, a familiar font, a sly bit of irony, the symbolism of the bloom.
-Sloane Warren
“Cherry blossom in bud”— the explosive start to spring in London—tells the story of the bombings in Syria courtesy of The Sunday Telegraph.
“Greenbell”—inspired by the Guardian’s coverage of one man’s story from the Windrush scandal summer 2018—conveys the ship that brought many of that generation to the UK in the 40’s.
“Chrysanthemum”—tells the Times’ story of the Jamal Khashoggi murder Autumn 2018 in the Saudi embassy.
“Ilex”—taken from The Sun— recalls the winter story of the parrot that fell in love with an Amazon Alexa.
Since completing her master’s degree at the Royal College of Art in 1999, Kate Lewis has been transforming textiles into textured, multi-dimensional, manipulated fabrics that have been featured in the collections of luxury fashion and interior brands in Paris and New York, including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Nina Ricci, Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez and Calvin Klein Collection.