BLUNT x Misery | Limited Edition Collaboration
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Back by popular demand, Misery has partnered with BLUNT on their latest limited edition umbrella, celebrating the year of the Water Rabbit.
Influenced by her Chinese heritage and true to her signature style, the design boasts a black canopy adorned with bright pops of color, depicting playful rabbits, goldfish, and vibrant Lotus flowers amidst flowing waters.
We caught up with Misery to chat more about her collaboration with BLUNT and her own creative journey.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you like to spend your time.
Being a Mama to my beautiful 15, 7 and 5 year old daughters. Making art and painting in my little sunroom studio at the back of our house. I love working in here, it’s cosy with amazing natural light and leads out to our garden. I love being in our garden, I find it incredibly calming, the girls and I spend a lot of time here together. I also love to cook, dance, do yoga, listening to music, explore places in nature, take photographs.
How did your creative career come about? Was there a pivotal moment when you sat back and thought ‘yep, I want to do this full-time’?
I think I have always deeply known I would end up doing something creative in my adult life. I’ve enjoyed drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. When I was a teenager I got into graffiti and street painting — that’s where ‘Misery’ was born, and from there things unfolded into exhibitions, a clothing label and various different commercial collaborations. In my mid-late 20’s I realised I just needed to make art and be an artist first and foremost rather than a brand and be selective about who and what product I felt fit my values and were excited to collaborate with. BLUNT definitely being one of them.
How are you celebrating the Lunar New Year and welcoming in the Year of the Water Rabbit?
With my family, cooking and sharing a fabulous feast together. We all love to cook, eat and celebrate.
You collaborated with BLUNT back in 2019 — what was the draw to create a second limited edition design? What has been your favourite part of the collaboration?
I’m so thrilled to collaborate on a second BLUNT umbrella. BLUNT produce exceptionally beautiful, high quality, well designed umbrellas. I get complete creative freedom (gold for artists). It’s a super fun shaped canvas to see my artwork on. I love collaborating with an NZ brand of the highest standard and seeing our umbrella loved by so many in NZ and abroad.
How would you describe the feeling of using the BLUNT x Misery umbrella?
My favourite is the BLUNT Classic. I love how large it is and seeing my artwork stretched out over the canopy is so cool. The Water Rabbit umbrella feels uplifting and peaceful. It’s fun, with a few cheeky carrot and daikon characters hanging around the place, but also has a kind of elegance about it which I really like.
