May Twelve Studio
In November 2021, Jenni Brabant and her family made the move from the bustling city of Melbourne to the peaceful Matakana area. They fell in love with the laid-back lifestyle and the warm, welcoming community, quickly feeling like they belonged. The coastal landscapes and beautiful beaches of the local area have provided inspiration for her art and the founding of May Twelve Studio.
Hailing from Manchester in the United Kingdom, Jenni's love for art and creativity date back to her earliest memories. Attending art and design school, she experimented with various different mediums including painting, sculpture, and illustration before specialising in fashion design, where she spent over 10 years in the fashion industry designing womenswear.
Outside of work, her love for art never waned. She often attended drawing classes and joined art groups in her spare time, always finding ways to express herself creatively. Switching from fashion design to homewares and wall art was a major career shift for her. For the past seven years, she's had the opportunity to design art prints and wall art for well- known international retailers like Next UK, Bouclair CAN, Farmers NZ, Pillow Talk, and Temple&Webster AUS.
In early 2024, after experiencing the sudden loss of her mum, she founded May Twelve Studio. "I turned to painting as an outlet for my grief, and it soon became a form of therapy for me,” says Jenni. Her art draws inspiration from vintage posters and postcards, each with a unique story told through its worn textures. “I have a love of all things vintage, items worn with a past life that tell a story,” she notes.
Combined with natural textures and a deep love for the beach and ocean, her work transports viewers to tropical coastal getaways and a feeling of endless summer. She loves experimenting with different mediums, using acrylic paints and sand textures on canvas and fine art papers. Creating pieces that reflect the natural beauty of nature, the calming presence of the ocean, and the coastal landscapes she now calls home.
Today, you can find her art and art prints available for purchase online on her website or at Caro With Love in Mangawhai. Each piece not only tells a story of her artistic journey but also reflects her passion for capturing nostalgia, nature, and the tropical coastal beauty of New Zealand that continues to inspire her.
www.MayTwelveStudio.com | www.instagram.com/MayTwelve_Studio