Creativity runs wild on Unicorn Lane

UNICORN Lane is currently housing young, emerging artist Maddie Hoy’s collection of paintings and poems titled, Anthropomorphic Abbey.

A role model for young people with disabilities, Hoy has been collaborating on her drawing and artistic techniques for years with a range of tutors including local artist Pauline O’Shannessy Dowling.

“Maddie’s been working with me for around two years and when the opportunity came up to put in an expression of interest to exhibit here so I said to Maddie why didn’t she give it a try,” O’Shannessy Dowling said.

“Maddie’s been working on this body of work, all through 2020 and even a little bit before and has come up with all of the paintings and creative writing which is also in calligraphy as well.”

Having previously exhibited her work in a number of group shows, Hoy said this was the first time she was displaying her personal poetry.

“These are all my original poems, my brother taught me how to do some of the calligraphy and my writing as well,” she said.

“It took around three to four hours each time to do the calligraphy and it’s taken me about four or five months during quarantine to do all of these pieces.

“I’ve been doing art since I was about six or seven, I’ve always drawn but when I left school I did a lot more and took it to the next level.”

Taking creative inspiration from Disney characters, the pre-Raphaelites and popular culture, Hoy said she really enjoyed creating the acrylic and metallic paintings throughout lockdown.

“It started with greeting cards, when I got bored I would draw the head of the animals and the body of a historical figure on the cards,” she said.

“I was doing a Frida birthday card for my aunty in Melbourne and mum suggested that I should make it even bigger, which really took it to the next level.”

Unicorn Lane will be displaying Anthropomorphic Abbey until 6 May.