Describing her practice as “the natural history museum on acid,” she merges organic patterns with a bold, modern aesthetic, creating pieces that are both visually stimulating and conceptually open-ended.
Kate Rohdge is an Australian artist whose work brings the natural world into vivid, surreal, and often playful forms. Describing her practice as “the natural history museum on acid,” she merges organic patterns with a bold, modern aesthetic, creating pieces that are both visually stimulating and conceptually open-ended. Influenced by the rich textures and graphic patterns of nature, from leopard print to zebra stripes, her work celebrates the diversity and complexity of the natural world.
Kate’s creative process is intuitive, evolving organically as she works through ideas. Her process often begins with research, including sketching and referencing books, particularly from the 1960s and 70s, where she draws inspiration from saturated colors and painted illustrations. She employs a wide range of materials, primarily resin and plasticine, to bring her ideas to life. The sculpting process, in particular, is where she finds the most creative challenge and satisfaction, as it allows her to shape her dream home’s imagined objects.
Rather than focusing on a series, Kate considers her body of work to be project-based, with a sense of continuity between each new exploration. She leaves space for each piece to develop organically, often with simple sketches and rough ideas as a starting point. This freedom leads to a natural progression of ideas, sometimes taking a few exhibitions to fully explore a concept.
Working in a spacious warehouse studio, Kate embraces the mess and experimentation that comes with the territory. Time in the studio has become even more precious since becoming a mother, so she dives straight into her work with a focused mindset. While she doesn’t have a specific ritual to begin her sessions, she mentally prepares before entering the studio, helping her maintain momentum and flow.
Kate’s work has evolved through key defining moments, including her decision to pursue a fine art degree over design and her first experience exhibiting in a commercial gallery. These moments, alongside being selected for Melbourne Now in the design section, have led to new opportunities and have deepened her understanding of the fluidity between art, craft, and design. Her practice continues to expand, blurring boundaries and inviting viewers to engage with her work in a uniquely personal way.