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Native Mandalas: Emma Hack

03 November 2009
Posted in Frontpage

p14_e hack - wallpaper owl.jpg

p14_e hack - wallpaper tawny frogmouth.jpg What is your background as an artist?

I started working as a hair and make-up artist 20 years ago. It was during my education that I found out about body art and started practising and entering competitions. Body art was very unusual back then and not the popular art form it is today. I stuck with it and my work has evolved from painting clothing onto the body and celebrity based calendar body art to a fine-art level which I enjoy the most as I can create anything I wish and now I also photograph the images myself, it has been an important and very fulfilling experience.

You work with Florence Broadhurst wallpaper and you’re the only artist who has permission to do this. Can you tell us how this came about?

I was looking for a way to create the illusion of models blended into their surroundings, inspired by 60s supermodel Verushka, who used to paint herself into rustic environments. One day I was visiting Flourish, a home-ware store, and they had a wall of Florence Broadhurst wallpaper and I fell in love with it. I actually created the work first, then realised that maybe I should ask if it was OK. David and Helen Lennie from Signature Prints said that Florence would have loved what I did and agreed for me to continue with the idea. Now they let me print whatever colour ranges I wish and designs from the Broadhurst archive, which is a great continuing relationship.

How did the combining of body art and wallpaper happen?

In 2005 I created my first four images with two of the wallpapers. I actually created two images a day, the first day was 19 hours long, which is so hard for my model and myself. But the designs were very difficult and I was learning as I went... The second day was 17 hours. I have managed to get the timing down to 8-5 hours, depending on design detail –but it’s not an easy experience!

What attracted you to your current work depicting Australian birds and animals?

I have a very strong love of our amazing land and environment. The images are a celebration of the birds and animals that feature around us and to raise awareness of our native environment. I painted my own backgrounds for this project as I wanted to try another feel to the work and not just be known for painted Broadhurst designs. It is important for me to grow within my art form.

Emma Hack

Native Mandala

p14_sulphur-crested cockatoo in wattle spiral.jpg Opening night: Thursday, November 5, 2009, 6-8 pm