Mondocherry – The Interiors Addict

Detailed yet bold: The intricate artworks of Mondocherry

With the tribal aesthetic currently trending, Mondocherry’s new artworks are an ideal complement. “Our latest collection, ‘Strata,’ is all about texture. We love the way that the depth and dimension of layered papers creates artworks that change in different lights and from different angles, providing an enormous amount of movement and interest,” says Mondocherry’s Clare Scholes who creates these beautifully intricate works with her sister Joy Stewart.

Evoking African juju hats, part of the artworks’ appeal is that they are so very detailed upon close inspection, yet bold and graphic from afar. “All our pieces follow a process of painting, cutting and then layering and arranging. The last is often the most challenging part as the artworks sometimes surprise us by the way they come together.

“Particularly our layered artworks which seem to take on a life of their own during this process and often lead us to places we weren’t expecting! We love that this happens and it is part of the excitement in creating a new artwork,” says Clare who lives in Melbourne, while Joy lives in Singapore – an unconventional arrangement that nevertheless works.

“We have always been passionate about creating artworks that are entirely made by hand, choosing to turn our backs on quicker methods of laser cutting or printing in favour of having complete ownership and creating one-off pieces of art,” says Clare. Their pieces are created with individually hand-cut paper feathers and watercolour paint before being framed in solid oak box frames.

“We love that we could never replicate an artwork exactly. Being in different countries can be hard but we are very lucky in that we create in very similar ways and one can seamlessly take over where the other left off. We do a lot of talking through ideas and often will be thinking of the same new idea at the same time! Having time to ‘play’ with new ideas is hugely important to us and we find we are at our most creative when are just experimenting,” says Clare.

“We’ve been playing with rich dense colour and then the very palest of pale colours too – we are obsessed with colour combinations and often send each other photos of amazing combinations in anything from fabric, scenery, flowers and magazine clippings,” says Clare.

Photography: Martina Gemmola | Styling: Fiona Richardson & Belinda Hall

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Mondocherry: art handmade from thousands of paper feathers

Living thousands of kilometres away from your business partner, for most, would spell disaster; but for sisters Clare Scholes and Joy Stewart it only makes them work harder. With Clare based in Melbourne and Joy having recently moved to Singapore, together they own boutique Mondocherry.

Stocking a range of their own work — in the form of artworks and textiles — as well as the wares of local designers, it is their new birds of a feather series that deserves the most attention.

Made from feathers individually hand cut from watercolour paper and then carefully water coloured, the artworks are inspired by the rich, layered texture of tribal juju hats, as well as the intricate detailing of an individual feather

“We love happy art and wanted to create a series of pieces that have graphic impact from afar but have a story to tell up close,” explains Clare. “When creating a new feather artwork we are usually inspired by a particularly beautiful colour combination and then we are impatient to start painting and cutting and watch the artwork evolve. We find the intricate process of cutting the feathers quite meditative. Others do yoga, but we cut and paint a thousand tiny feathers!”

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[contextly_sidebar id=”HuttRUvIgha6lwFKUhySzVDYgESNQwad”]Chatting endlessly on Skype and on the phone, for the sisters collaborating is something they have always done. “It is the easiest thing in the world to design together as we often, separately, come up with exactly the same idea,” says Joy. “We very rarely disagree about our designs and are grateful that we can usually critique each other’s work without the need to be super polite and tactful. People often ask us: “Who does what in an artwork?” and the simple answer is that we really work as one.”

Having worked with paper for a number of years, the birds of a feather series was simply an evolution, founded from sitting down together and trying new techniques and ideas. Also designing a range of cushions, throws and lampshades, all products go through the same rigorous collaboration process. “We find that new ideas can’t be forced and if we go in with the intention of coming up with something new it is usually a disaster,” explains Clare. “Our inspiration comes from experimenting and usually we have that aha moment when we know that something works.”

Deciding long ago to not follow trends or predict what people might buy, the duo make sure to only make and stock what they love, and they have some exciting plans underway. “We have so many ideas in the pipeline from furniture to bedding,” says Joy. “We also want to continue to support other artists and designers, especially local ones. In fact, much of our jewellery and homewares are actually created by artisans living and working within a few kilometres of our shop!”

Visit Mondocherry at 3 Claremont Ave, Malvern 3144 or shop online.

Photography by Martina Gemmola | Styling by Fiona Richardson and Belinda Hall