Kalyanii Holden 

Kalyanii’s artistic instincts have been winning hearts & accolades since she was a child.

For her creating art is simply a way of life.

She is a sculptor, a photographer and a creative writer who thrives on the challenge of developing a themed collection of work to share with the world in gallery exhibitions.

My creative space is…

a studio under my house. I have two kilns and a room full of rocks, sticks, fungus, and other things that inspire me to make art. Nature is a big part of my practice — the ideas and inspiration for much of my work starts outside the studio space. Going for a walk in the bush and finding a stick with lichen on it can inspire a sculptural piece. Ideas and possibilities are constantly swimming around within the subliminal dream scape of my mind. 

My art is unique because…

it is warm and inviting and it invokes feelings of joy and curiosity. I feel a lot and I’ve been through some really difficult times in my life; art is where I go to find joy and excitement and I inject everything I am in that moment into each work I create. When I am making I’m at my best — I’m brave and unafraid.

The reason I became an artist is…

I was born to create. I wasn’t great at school, but I could wield a brush with self-confidence and clarity. I won art competitions as a kid and I always found that art helped me process things that were happening in my childhood — really hard things I couldn’t change. My dad passed away tragically when I was seven and my step father died tragically in a car crash a year later. My mum struggled after that, so art was my salve. It was where I felt held and competent.

Inspiration for my art comes from…

my past and spending such a large portion of my life in the bush as a kid. It also comes from my experiences as an adult: being a mum. My kids and family are often my photography muses. Sometimes I’ll create a portrait of my life in clay and not realise until later that this is what I’ve done. And nature, always nature. It is a continuum within my work, a constant revisiting.

My favorite tool for creating is…

everything:) Whatever turns out to be the best tool for a particular job. Whether this is an old kitchen knife, a sieve, something that allows me to achieve the markings I want or to cut in the right way. My partner is always getting mad at me for stealing things from the kitchen when I’m creating. Anything can be used as a tool; you just have to find the right thinga-ma-jig! 

My artististic practice is…

varied. Sometimes I don’t want to make the same sculpture over and over, even if the piece proves popular. I find this is mind numbing, which is why a lot of my work is one off. This year I’m focusing on releasing limited edition series’ of work, in very small batches.

My biggest artistic challenge is…

the constant hustle, and submission cycle, and the knock backs. You have to have a tough skin being an artist, otherwise you'd never do anything, you'd just lay on the floor in a heap. Luckily making art makes me feel good, so I just keep making.

Follow Kalyanii on Instagram

Follow Kalyanii on Facebook