Into the Luminous Realm: Kate Rohde on Her Fantastical Deer Urn

Now on display at Pieces of Eight Gallery, 'Deer Urn' is a vibrant, larger-than-life sculpture by acclaimed Melbourne artist Kate Rohde. A decade in the making, this extraordinary piece draws from the artist's childhood memories, her love of nature, and a vivid imagination that transforms the everyday into the otherworldly. In this conversation, Kate shares the story behind the work’s origins, her intricate resin-casting process, and why creating fantastical forms is an essential part of her world.

PO8: Kate, Your ‘Deer Urn’ is such a vivid, otherworldly creation. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind it, and what ideas or stories you wanted to capture in its form and colours?

KR: I would say a lot of my work is inspired by growing up in the leafy Dandenongs just out side of Melbourne, but also wanting the nature to be a bit more fantastical and colourful. People that lived in our street had pet deer and I thought they were so beautiful and majestic. I was also a real horse girl as a kid so I was drawn to those kinds of animals, as well as having lots of pets. I really love working with animal and plant forms to stylise and enhance their inherent beauty.

PO8: This piece showcases your signature use of resin and vibrant colour. Could you walk us through the making of this work, how long it took you and how the materials shape both its texture and its overall impact?

KR: I started working on this piece 10 years ago. I'd originally hoped to make it part of my 2015 Rigg Design Prize presentation, but wasn't able to finish it in time, so I came back to it in 2016, to make it a feature piece for the show 'Luminous Realms' at Craft. At that time my son was a tiny baby, so with only short bursts of time to work, it felt like it took forever to make.

It was originally modelled in plasticine over a solid foam form. The textures that come through in the resin mostly have to be in place at the plasticine stage, so there's lots of smoothing using heat and various modelling tools. To date it's the biggest cast form I've ever made and definitely quite tricky at every stage to work on, but it's probably one of my favourite pieces I've ever made.

PO8: When people encounter this piece, what emotions or responses do you hope it sparks in them? Do you see it as purely fantastical, or is there a deeper narrative at play?
        
KR: To me, it's really purely fantastical. My work is largely about escaping to a different realm or mental space. All the work I make is really just me creating the things I want to be surrounded by.

Kate Rohde’s 'Deer Urn' is a vivid portal into a world of wonder, where myth, memory, and material collide in riotous colour. We invite you to experience this extraordinary work in person, at our Russell Place Gallery, where it is currently holding court.

This one of a kind piece is available for purchase, for inquiries or to learn more, please contact our team.