Not long now to wait for International Women’s Day 2021, we are counting down the days until the sessions go live via #OportoTV at 8pm on the 8th of March. In the lead up we’ve spotlighted the musicians who will be taking part; however, in addition to Laura Kindelan and ZAY, we also wanted to shed a light on the fabulous illustrator who designed the poster. Without further ado, please give a warm welcome to Olivia Brearley!
Originally from Craven District, Olivia is a recent Printed Textiles and Surface Pattern Design graduate from Leeds’ Arts University. Since then, she’s racked up collaborations with the likes of Fred Aldous and (v cool) Brooklyn-based homeware brand Aelfie, not to mention stalls at markets across the region all whilst balancing a part-time job as well (phewie, you go girl).
How Olivia finds time to channel such intricate, creative energy into her work is frankly astounding. The first thing you’ll notice from her illustrations is the sheer detail. Ultimately, it’s a sensory experience, you can feel the texture and atmosphere of the scene. There’s a playfulness in these details as well, for example you might notice the already-cut slice of pie or the ‘already-butt-printed’ sofas which are clearly not fresh out the showroom. The domestic scenes in particular are as much musings on life as they are of time and place – Olivia creates spaces full of warmth and homeliness.
More recently, the illustrator and print designer has turned her attention to other forms away from the page. Olivia has been experimenting with pottery, pumpkin painting (yes you read that correctly) as well as decorating some incredible bird boxes, turning what could be a boring wooden shack into the most extravagant stately home.
When Olivia sent across her design for the International Women’s Day 2021 poster, we were stunned. Yet again, as expected, the attention to detail in the flora is breath-taking and the flow of the illustration up and round the page creates a natural movement for the eye. Speaking on her inspiration behind the design, Olivia said, “the different wildflowers represent all the different types of beautiful women that I know, and how we all grow together so beautifully and organically as one collective community.”
Bloom Sessions want to send a humungous thank you to Olivia for collaborating with us this month, we loved having her on board and implore each and every one of you to get familiar with her work – you’ll thank us later.
Don’t forget, if you’d like to get your grubby mitts on a copy of Olivia’s International Women’s Day poster – you can! Soon we’ll be sharing the link to an online store where you can purchase the print for just £10. All of the proceeds will be split between the artist, FUSE Leeds and Leeds Women’s Aid.
Bloom Sessions 