Un-poppable
Words Emily Pattullo
Bubbles are just a small part of what inspires local artist and designer, Ruby Watson, who seamlessly juggles parenting with a varied and ever-evolving career.
Having recently completed a hugely popular pop-up, bubble-themed exhibition and interactive workshop at Charlie’s Gelato to showcase her artwork, Ruby Watson is already ruminating on her next project and it’s likely to be fun! Like the bubbles, which she wanted to inspire delight and playfulness, not just in the children that attended the art therapy session but in the parents who brought them along, enjoyment is a big part of what motivates the artist and designer.
But there is also a more thoughtful and serious side to the bubbles and what they mean to Ruby, “They represent motherhood and the tension we live in,” she says. “They are forever morphing as they move, changing colour and shape. But they are also delicate.” As a mother of two young children, juggling a career and running a home is a fine balance, one that from the outside can appear seamless, and to some even awe-inspiring; but as Ruby wanted to show through her bubble paintings can, from a distance, appear perfect, until “you get closer and can actually see that they are made up of messy layers.”
Having studied architecture, Ruby realised she preferred the more hands-on design and spatial side of things rather than computers and detailing, which has led her to collaborating with the likes of fashion designer Brooke Tyson on fabric designs for her fashion range, as well as designing Frankie Apothecary’s packaging and labels, I Am Eva’s period-proof range, and creating installations for Auckland Council.
On top of that, Ruby also co-founded ĀKAU – Te Reo Māori for where water meets the land – which “strives to empower whānau and tamariki to shape their future and their community through creativity and design. We make sure the community’s voice is heard from the start to the finish of our projects”.
As dynamic as the bubbles she paints, Ruby is inspired by new and exciting projects and is always open to collaborations and commissions. In the meantime she is designing a new home with her partner, who is a builder, completing other works, and being a mother; all of which just shows how truly un-poppable Ruby is.
Ruby will be doing another pop-up at Charlie’s, exhibiting her Pop! bubble art for those who missed it, as well as other pieces, from 10 March-23 April. Over Easter and the school holidays, Leach Studio Ceramics will be in the space too with their Play with Clay.