White Peach Art Project: Behind the Scenes with Artist Sophie Hospes
Cologne, Germany: 22nd September
For the first time, iCandy is exhibiting an eclectic and innovative art collection at the largest trade nursery show, Kind und Jugend Cologne, Germany, titled, The White Peach Art Project. The White Peach art collection has been conceived by four gifted artists donating their time and talent to design and create one-off Peach pushchairs, dedicated to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s charity. The artists that have contributed to the project were carefully selected due to their unique style and approaches to art, as iCandy felt that this mix of media would represent the various interpretations of modern parenting in today’s society in the most effective, visual way.
Sophie Hospes
Amsterdam-based custom designer, Sophie Hospes, is one of the contributing White Peach artists and joined iCandy at their stand at the Kind und Jugend Fair, for the art collection unveiling but also to share with guests her inspiration behind her artwork and why contributing to the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity was so important to her. Sophie, founder of ULTIMATE ORIGINALS, is famed for creating the highest quality customized items which are bold and fearless and prides herself for being able to create art on almost any surface or fabric. ULTIMATE ORIGINALS creations are one-off commissions that are a celebration of uniqueness and diversity, specifically designed to each individual brief. This focused and unique approach to her art is perfectly executed in her bold and colourful designs on her White Peach pushchair.
Titled “Teach Them We Are Equal,” Sophie’s pushchair creation is a celebration of diversity expressed through bold rainbows and bright stars. Her inspiration coming from the current global LGBT movement to break down out-dated stereotypes and to fully embrace the ‘Love is Love’ ethos. Sophie wanted this to be the key message in her piece, as she feels this is so important for this generation to pass onto the next, to build a world that is full of love and acceptance. Talking with the iCandy team, Sophie shared that she felt strongly that this was the perfect message to convey in this project especially as, “iCandy are well known for their love of diversity and equality,” through their ongoing charity fundraising efforts.
Creating and relaying this message across her white Peach was although no easy feat, sharing that her painted pushchair took over 40 hours to create and involved vast amounts of paint and glitter to achieve the daring finished look. Her dedication to the project was also spurred on by what the whole project would achieve in raising awareness for such a notable children’s Hospital Charity. Moved by the incredible work Great Ormond Street Hospital perform on serious ill children, Sophie shared that "doing charity work as an artist is a really big honour… when everything in my life is going fine, I feel it is importantly for me to give back… I feel if everyone does something to give-back each year, then the world be a much better place,” and the White Peach Project was the perfect opportunity for Sophie to unite her creative talents for a worthy charitable cause.
As iCandy’s first artist collaboration project, they hope to further strengthen their connection with the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, who work tirelessly to fund for better research and care services for sick children and their families. This is a cause very close to their hearts and they believe it to be an important place to begin.
Contributing Artist Biographies
Camilla Perkins
Camilla Perkins is an Illustrator and Painter. She derives inspiration from the everyday human, flora and fauna, elevated with a bit of imagination. Since graduating from the University of Westminster in 2012 she has worked with various high-profile clients to produce brightly coloured, heavily patterned and unique images.
ZombieDan
ZombieDan is a stencil and graffiti artist. Entirely consumed by London’s encompassing and enrapturing urban and street art scene as a child in the 1990’s, and as an active witness of the golden era of British street art – Zombiedan is one of the most intoxicating and captivating new names in British art.
www.wishboneart.co.uk/artist/zombiedan/
Kealey Farmer
Touching upon romance, love, relationships and family in all her artwork, Kealey Farmer is an accomplished artist with a passion to create joyful pieces of work. Specialising in 3D handmade elements that include diamond dust, Swarovski crystals and finished by the artist herself in resin have become a much-loved fixture within her work.
www.wishboneart.co.uk/artist/kealey-farmer/
Sophie Hospes
Founder of ULTIMATE ORIGINALS, Sophie creates the highest quality customized items which are bold and fearless. The ULTIMATE ORIGINALS one-off commissions are a celebration of uniqueness and diversity by actualizing concepts into ultimate original items, specifically made for the individuals. Sophie has had the pleasure to work with a number of brands and artists, with her customisation worn by some of the world’s biggest DJs, such as Armin van Buuren and Radical Redemption.
