When it came to choosing an artist to create illustrations for this website, it was an easy decision to go with Sarah McCloskey. The young illustrator’s elegant, edgy portraits sit perfectly alongside Cathedral Square’s vision of a sophisticated urban centre, and her willingness to experiment with different mediums and materials adds another element of innovation to the ambitious project.
Plus, perhaps most importantly, there’s the fact that Sarah’s a local. Raised in Perth, Sarah works from a studio in Northbridge, and has showed extensively in her home state. You might have seen her most visible work – a large-scale public mural in Leederville, depicting a pink-haired girl against a bright blue backdrop. Supporting and highlighting the work of local artists is paramount at Cathedral Square, and it’s a joy to be able to show off Sarah’s work.
You could argue, though, that she hardly needs the help. Sarah’s profile is building rapidly. That mural – her first solo one – was commissioned as part of PUBLIC2015 in April, and word has it that she’s started work on a second. She’s created work for numerous group shows, including all-female show Valley of the Nightflowers, which opened at Linton and Kay Galleries in November, held a solo show in Sydney in 2014, and continues to take on private commissions. With all that, you don’t blame her for taking her time to decide her next steps – Sarah was studying fine arts at uni, but deferred for a break, and is now tossing up whether to return to illustration or pursue more design-based study.
Whatever she chooses, she’s sure to continue producing the incredible work that we’re lucky to have adorning this website. To view Sarah’s work and find out more, visit her website, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, and stay tuned to hear more about the work we’re doing to support local artists.
