Anna Peach

Anna Peach 'seed' & 'weathered' 2003

Ever get that thing where you want to post about someone but no matter how many times you write, edit, re-write it just doesn't do justice to what you want to say? That's where I've been at with this post about the wonderful Anna Peach. It was easy to do this post about her last April because I didn't know her at all, I was simply responding to her amazing Coconut Couture (above & below).


Anna Peach 'Coconut Couture' 2003

Now, through the wonder of the internet, I do know her and the more I know the harder it is to post something that encapsulates the complete creativity that flows from her every action, word and thought. I am totally captivated by the way she sees the world and how she then expresses it in her art and her poetic writing (she doesn't call it poetry, but read Mapping the Wind and you'll see what I mean).


Anna Peach 'island' hemp fibre & cording 2003

Anna works with themes that are very dear to my heart, particulary when working with water (see History Viewed Through Water), she has such an affinity with waterand environment. Everything she does exudes an appreciation of her immediate environment, of the history of place. I find her work so pure and honest, and brave. She is so dedicated to her projects, which are often incredibly labour intensive works like this breathtaking piece...


Anna Peach installing Spirit House in Wisconsin
photo via Kelknits courtesy of John Michael Kohler Art Centre

The absorbingly beautiful Spirit House is a dress/installation made from 100's of pieces of hand made lace. It is breathtaking on so many levels. All my attempts to write about this have been sadly inadequate, the best thing is to read Anna herself talking about it in this interview with her in Hana Hou, it does her more justice than my poorly crafted words are able to.


Anna Peach inside 'Spirit House' 2003

While she was in Switzerland (having moved there from Hawaii) we had some great email conversations talking about life, work, travel & experiences- she's a natural storyteller. Her writing style and openess as inspiring as her artworks so I said I really thought she should start a blog, and am pleased to say she has! She's been moving again (she's very nomadic in her way) hence me stalling this post for a few months. But she's settled again now and back to her new blog The Golden Egret Studio which is already one of my favourites, filled words, images and observations that really get me thinking in a more reflective way.

She makes such beautiful work but as you will discover if you delve deeper, she is more than willing to get in amongst the cold, the wet, and even the unpleasant to find often elusive truths of a place, of it's history, it's processes. Ah, I curse my inabilty to write eloquently - I know what I'm trying to say but I haven't the vocabulary to convey it. Just look at her work, read her blog - if it speaks to you then you will know exactly what I mean.


One of Anna's underwater installations. See the tiny fishes inside the gloves

Here are a few more articles about Anna which are worth reading as she always reveals wonderful stories from her past when she talks - one from Hawaii Craftsmen and a more recent one in Honolulu Star Bulletin.

Anna - It's good to see you immersed in a project, albeit a chilly one for the moment. May your coffee be always hot and your sleep be deep, when it comes. I thought of you when I saw the burdock burr women made by Ceca Georgieva.