The brilliant ideas behind Kitty Joseph’s Chromatic River Walk
Meet the artist and multi-faceted designer behind this summer’s must-visit kaleidoscopic outdoor installation at River Walk from July–August.
What is the inspiration behind Chromatic River Walk?
I lived by the Thames for many years. The river creates such a unique space in the city – an expanse of light and watery reflection that feels open and freeing amid the urban landscape. The Chromatic River Walk is actually inspired by the sunset strolls I’ve taken over the years along the Thames, sketchbook in hand. The prints and colours within the installation are taken from those drawings of my light and colour studies and celebrate the ordinary daily miracles from sunrise through to sunset.
How do you think people will react to it?
In a city where life often feels rushed, I hope it offers people a moment to stop and connect with the light, the river and even themselves. I hope people are energised by the artwork’s vibrancy but also soothed and mesmerised by the movement of fabric.
The colours will be incredible…
The installation transforms hour by hour, from dawn to dusk. I chose materials for their light-enhancing qualities. For example, the sheer fabrics of the flags are like stained glass, filtering and tinting the light passing through to create pools of colour. Meanwhile, the reflective surfaces of the colour mirrors on the steps and seating bounce light back.
Colour is so fundamental to your work…
There's a Kandinsky quote I love: “Colour is a power which directly influences the soul.” I feel we can all improve our daily lives with intentional colour choices. I design clothes using colour to create joy and positive emotion in the wearer, so it felt natural to do the same while dressing the architecture of the riverside.
You place a huge emphasis on sustainability in your collections and artwork…
In 2019, I moved away from seasonal clothing collections towards a slow-fashion model using only recycled or organic fabrics. I feel that producing responsibly should be the established norm. I also really believe in working at the speed of creativity, only releasing work once it is truly refined. I approached the Chromatic River Walk in this way, taking the time to design every single print and colour combination individually.
You’ve dressed everyone from Lady Gaga to Kylie Minogue – who else would you like to work with?
I’d love to design a custom piece for Kate Bush if she ever came back for another surprise performance! I listened to her album Aerial on repeat while designing my graduate collection, and I revisited it while working on this piece. The music is so colourful, descriptive and emotional, and the themes she explores of light, water and landscape resonate with me; it definitely influenced the Chromatic River Walk design.
Kitty’s guide to unleashing your inner artist
1. Your materials should be unique to you
Everybody sees the world differently and has a subject that they're particularly interested in so think about what you're excited about, then let that lead your materials.
2. Be inspired by different places
Sign up to a local art class where you can go along and try new materials out or go to an art shop like Cass, where they have a lot of samples to try out.
3. Don’t be precious
You have to rejoice in your materials and play and make lots and lots of mistakes – really enjoy the process and see it as an opportunity. The worst thing is to get paralysed with fear.
4. Don’t have premeditated ideas about the finished product
I think when you start, you need to go in with complete curiosity and focus on the enjoyment and curiosity of the process.
5. Be conscious of unexpected things
Just notice the little moments where you observe something that you love, and maybe take a note of it. So it might be that you've poured water into a glass, or there's light coming in the window, making an interesting refraction. For me, it was my walks I took along the river at sunset after having quite a stressful day and I realised I was mesmerised by the light at sunset and the neon reflections in the water. They inspired me to come back with a sketchbook.
6. Drawing is a kind of radical act.
It puts you in a state where you have to be comfortable with uncertainty. You have to accept that you don't know what your drawing is going to turn out like, and that's quite a good thing to practise. It can expand into other areas of your life in a funny sort of way.
Kitty Joseph’s Chromatic River Walk is at River Walk from July–August.
