Meet our Everywoman Together Illustrators
At the core of Edge of Ember is our community, we are inspired by you - smart, stylish, unique and talented women. As an female-led team, our mission is to empower and elevate women worldwide.
The past few years have been an exciting time for our female-led ethical jewellery brand. We've had the chance to roll out our passion project, Everywoman Together, and connect with some seriously creative babes.
Alongside our IGTV Everywoman Together Series and ongoing charity partnerships with the likes of Solace, Women for Women and Black Women's Health Imperative, we're continuing to expand our EveryWoman Together project.
So, without further adieu, we give to you the EveryWoman Together Gallery. A space where our creative collaborators can come to display and sell bespoke works on our site.
To celebrate International Women's Month, and launch the gallery, we've teamed up with four amazing female illustrators who were commissioned to create 12 prints based on the themes of female empowerment and sustainability.
We hope you will join us in this exciting foray outside of jewellery - we sure can't wait (bring on the DIY home gallery walls).
But, enough from us. We caught up with our illustrators to find out more about them, their prints and why they were keen to collaborate on this project. Enjoy!
Rose England
Tell us a little bit about your work and the meaning behind it.
I am an Illustrator and Print Designer based in North London. I specialise in creating feminine portraits & figures alongside natures true forms. The females that I draw are of all different ethnicities, shapes & sizes; it is important to me for all women to feel empowered and represented by my work. I also love to draw flowers, I have recently started experimenting more with abstract styles which I am really enjoying. I love the big, bold patterns you can create alongside interesting colour combinations.
What inspires you most creatively?
I find lots of my inspiration through travel & nature. There is nothing that excites me more than exploring a new country...the landscapes, colours, textiles, food, culture, everything! I get a new lease of life and have endless ideas & a surge of creativity. During the pandemic travel was not an option so I took my inspirations much closer to home, this is where my London series began.
Do you have any exciting projects lined up for 2021 that you can tell us about?
I’m going to expand my London series. I have a few artworks in progress inspired by some new locations I think people will love. I’ve also got a very exciting project coming up but I can’t reveal anything just yet!
What was your biggest achievement of 2020?
Quitting my job as a print designer & working full time on my own business. It was the scariest decision to make but ended up being the best one yet:
When it comes to jewellery are you silver or gold?
I’m a gold girl! I love earthy tones so this one is a no brainer.
Do you wear jewellery with meaning?
I love layering necklaces. I like to mix up the textures/ lengths and of course always wear with a pair of gold hoops!
What's your one important reminder for women around the world?
Love yourself, be kind to yourself and believe in yourself. Every woman is a goddess!
Pearlyn Koh
Tell us a little bit about your work and the meaning behind it.
It's about finding beauty in imperfection of life, like plants and flowers, its imperfections gives them a character, makes them unique and attractive to others. Just like us, our imperfections make us, us, perfectly imperfect. We watch them transform with the seasons in life. The time to grow, the time to bloom and to wither. Finding beauty in our flaws is indeed one of the best ways of loving oneself.
What inspires you most creatively?
The gentleness and fluidity of plants mostly.
Do you have any exciting projects lined up for 2021 that you can tell us about?
Yes! This year I've been working on entirely different types of illustrations. Print and illustrations for wallpapers and even for a shoe brand. This year I am also taking the time to learn new skills and to try new things, dabbling into UX/UI and the digital world. As challenging as it is, it keeps me and my work breathing.
What was your biggest achievement of 2020?
My family and I moved to Sweden beginning of 2020, it was like hitting the reset button. New culture, new language and a new system but I think I can safely say that we've fully settled in, if not almost.
When it comes to jewellery are you silver or gold?
GOLD ;)
Do you wear jewellery with meaning?
Not always but I do! I wear the initials of my kids' names.
What's your one important reminder for women around the world?
Stop worrying about your destination, enjoy the process, growth and the journey of your life.
Sonya Robine
Tell us a little bit about your work and the meaning behind it.
I love drawing to break taboos around periods, sex, the body and all kinds of social pressures. My drawings represent the beauty of all women, which are not only magazine bodies! My illustrations are a message for all of us to love our body the way it is and stop disliking it, because it is our best partner in life.
What inspires you most creatively?
Life and discussions about how we see our body, how society shapes our point of view about ourself and others and all kinds of taboo.
Do you have any exciting projects lined up for 2021 that you can tell us about?
I will draw more women, taboo and sex. Also I'm very into the environment, so maybe something will come out soon.
What was your biggest achievement of 2020?
Beginning my life as a digital nomad! As we speak I'm waiting for my flight to Mexico City!
When it comes to jewellery are you silver or gold?
Silver!
Do you wear jewellery with meaning?
Yes, I don't wear that many jewels, I got a silver ring which my friend made for me and a beautiful Edge of Ember necklace my friends gave me as a present for my 30th with Albert in engraved on it . Albert is my T-rex tattoo on my wrist that you can discover here @albertandsonya.
What's your one important reminder for women around the world?
Love your body and enjoy life!
Octavia Thorns
Tell us a little bit about your work and the meaning behind it.
My work consists of illustration as well as block printing. My voice is my most powerful tool and I use it creatively. I use my art to highlight social justice issues, human rights issues and liberation. My art is a reflection of who I am and how I view Black women specifically because I am a Black woman. My identity influences my work heavily as well as my culture and history.
What inspires you most creatively?
Black women. Black women are so strong yet soft. They’re resilient. They do not weather in the face of adversity. We keep going and that inspires me. Their beauty is captivating. We’re underrepresented in the illustration industry and I’m working on changing that.
Do you have any exciting projects lined up for 2021 that you can tell us about?
Shhh! I hope so! Can’t talk about it right now but I’m so excited. But for now I can tell you about two books I illustrated and made block print art for!
I illustrated my first book! It’s called Science Superstars: 30 brilliant women who changed the world. It was a great project to work on because it highlights different women and their important contributions to the STEM field. Dropping August 10th! Available for preorder! I created block print art for Christine Platt’s The Afrominimalist's Guide to Living with Less. Coming out this summer, June 15th.
What was your biggest achievement of 2020?
Getting my freelance work off the ground! Opening an Etsy shop to sell my prints! Putting myself out there. I’m proud of that. It takes courage to jump out there.
When it comes to jewellery are you silver or gold?
I used to stick to one metal because everyone would believe the hype that you can’t mix and match but you can! You can do whatever you want, whatever you feel. I do both! Most of my first pieces of jewelry were gold but I inherited a lot of silver from my grandmother so I keep them both close to my heart.
Do you wear jewellery with meaning?
I do! I wear a gold locket from my grandmother. I wear my new engagement ring (so excited!). I wear my gold motherland piece. I love to wear my peony necklace from my fiancé. Peonies are my favorite flowers.
What's your one important reminder for women around the world?
Rest.
I say this because women are expected to be “this, that and the third” and we’re never allowed to just rest, to just be without society assigning people for us to take care of. Take care of you first. Rest!
