As co-founder of Dinosaur Designs, one of Australia’s leading design brands, and the founder of LO Collections, her eponymous line of metal jewellery and sculpture, Olsen has become one of the country’s most recognisable creative voices.
At The EVE, her work is woven into the fabric of the hotel. In the lobby, Still Life – originally painted in oil and acrylic on Belgian linen – has been reimagined as a suspended vinyl mural above Bar Julius. Nearby, Dream Garden, a hand-knotted Tibetan wool and silk wall hanging in the cloisters, draws on what Olsen describes as “the infinite possibilities in nature”.
That connection to The EVE made Olsen the obvious choice when it came to selecting the hotel’s first guest artist for Art House, a program celebrating the role of creativity in the guest experience.
We sat down with Louise to talk about finding inspiration in nature, the Australian artists she’s loving, and her idea of the perfect staycation in Sydney.
What’s your favourite part of art making?
The discovery and the journey of it. Being in the studio when you're really connecting and being with your work, exploring and listening to the painting. Sometimes painting can be like chess – you make one move, but then it needs another move, and it's understanding the rhythm and the vibration. The picture tells you where it wants to go; it's important to listen to that.
What has shaped your artistic eye the most?
Growing up with two artist parents. I was exposed very early to a lot of incredible artists who shaped my understanding and evolution of creating and being an artist. My parents started an art school, and so in the afternoons, I would head straight there from the age of six.
Children have such a natural instinctive sensibility. When a child paints a bird, they see and feel the bird, but as time goes on people say to them ‘Oh, that doesn't look like a bird’, and that alters the way they perceive and see things. I try to hold onto that in my art. I want my paintings to feel fresh, to have that sense of aliveness. I'm not a ‘look and put' artist – I like to feel the whole sensibility of the subject, not just what you see, but what you feel and what you hear – using all the senses.
What’s your studio routine?
First, I have to warm up. It's similar to when you hear a singer or an athlete warming up. I put some music on and get a nice coffee, and I start mixing colours or looking at my brushes. Making sure the light’s right, making sure the linen on your canvas is right – all that prepping gets you into it.
What do you do when you need creative inspiration?
There are so many things: reading poetry, listening to music, looking at work by my favourite artists, being inspired by nature… There's so much in this world to be inspired by – it could be looking down and seeing a beautiful cluster of rocks. When I get back to the studio, I feel so uplifted.
I also think that as you move through different times of your life, you're more inspired by different things at that time. I went through a stage of being really inspired by Japanese haikus, for example.
What’s a colour you’re loving right now?
I’m really into reds and warm palettes at the moment – that Japanese lacquer red, and the beautiful pomegranate red that’s used in The EVE. They’re so warm and gorgeous, and I love their depths and their unexpectedness – they're not loud, but they're very noticeable. There are so many layers to them.
What are the books and films you always return to?
I love reading biographies and creative books because I find them really inspiring and uplifting. One of my favourite books is Ways of Seeing by John Berger. It’s a beautiful book, a book of discovery and how to look at art. Rick Ruben’s The Creative Act is really good, too. I also love this Japanese film called Perfect Days, about the joy of a simple life, and not taking things for granted.
Who are some of the Australian artists you’re inspired by right now?
Mika Utzon Popov, who does incredible tapestry work, and Evie Adasal, whose
abstract paintings are really beautiful. Other Australian artists I’m loving at the moment are Nell, an acclaimed Australian multidisciplinary artist, and Karen Black, a painter and sculptor.
What are the first details you notice about a hotel?
When you arrive at a new hotel, I think the lobby is really important. That's what I love about The EVE Hotel. The entry space is beautiful! It's open, it's full of light, and it's full of objects and art and books. When you see all of that, you know you're in a good place.
What’s something you always take with you when you travel?
I love a good cosmetics bag, so when you get into the room, everything's sorted. I found these really lovely ones from a French brand called Etoile – a makeup artist who is a friend of mine introduced them to me. They're the most beautiful leather, with lots of compartments and zippers where you can put all your brushes, colours and pencils.
What do you love about your art being part of people’s stay at The EVE?
I really like seeing it outside a gallery and in a different space, seeing it alongside beautiful pieces of furniture. It’s so lovely to see people enjoying the art and the books and the sculptures in the lobby, and want to sit and really be in the space. Usually, lobbies are spaces that people just roll through with their suitcases. But what’s so lovely about The EVE is that people want to be in space.
What’s your idea of a perfect winter staycation in Sydney?
I love a staycation where you don’t have to go anywhere, and you can really relax. At The EVE, it has everything – good bars, good restaurants, good shopping in the hotel and in Wunderlich Lane. You don’t need a car; you can walk everywhere. You can get out and explore Redfern, which has so many wonderful, unexpected galleries – it's such a great area to discover.
Discover the Art House Stay.
