Interview with: Katie Gillies
Nottingham based artist, Katie Gillies is highly in demand for her suuuper fun, colourful terrazzo-like sculptural objects and surfaces made out of Jesmonite (a composite of resin first invented in 1984 by Peter Hawkins). Katie graduated from Leeds College of Art in 2015 with a design degree in Printed Textiles and Surface Pattern.
Since then, her work has attracted the attention from the likes of Topshop, H&M, Glossier & Papersmiths amongst others. Katie’s craft is one gruelling process, she makes everything by hand; from making the mould to mixing all of her own pigments and compounds, sanding, casting and polishing. She was nominated for a Great British Young Entrepreneur Award for the way she adapted her business, and despite lockdown, Katie saw a huge increase in sales; one of her biggest wholesale orders of 350 pieces commissioned by Liberty London. It doesn’t stop there - with her ever growing social media presence & portfolio of clients, Katie now sells internationally in the US, Canada, Brussels and Hong Kong with plans to take her workshops around the globe. Katie talks us through her working process, inspirations, advice on starting up a business, her favourite brands to shop & exciting future plans to expand her collection range…
Hi Katie! Tell us a little about yourself… & one ‘random’ thing about you.
Heya! I’m 28. I live and run my studio in Nottingham. I started my business from my parents garage in 2015 straight out of university and I haven’t looked back since. One random thing is that I’m incredibly shy when I meet people and I basically freeze, which is weird because I teach workshops!
When did you first discover Jesmonite & what was the first object you ever made?
I discovered it in my final year of university back in 2014 and I think the first object I ever made was some form of sample that was sandblasted with a geometric pattern on it, very different to what my work is like now.
What attracts you to Jesmonite as a material?
It’s the versatility of the material, to be able to colour match so well is a huge factor for me and also how playful you can be with the material too.
What inspires your work? The colour, the design, the shapes…
Artists such as Peter Shire, Sophie Smallhorn and Ettore Sottsass inspire me. Floristry inspires me too. My eyes are just drawn to colour. Oranges really excite me, especially rust and burnt shades. I never get bored of working with orange and it always inspires me to play and experiment – it’s my all-time favourite colour to work with.
What is your working process like? & Which part of the process do you find the most & the least pleasing?
My job is very labour intensive. Using power tools, hand sanding and casting for hours everyday is quite gruelling at times, but I really wouldn’t change it. I enjoy working hard because I love seeing the results. The best part of the job is creating a new palette or creating a one-off furniture piece, it’s the time when you can be experimental.
‘PLAY’ Small Mirror, Coaster, Tray collection
“The only advice I can give is based on my own experience. For me, staying active on social media has always really helped me to grow and raise awareness of my work. People are interested in the process and development stages of what I do, not just my products.”
What has been the most exciting part / highlight of your career so far?
Hmm, tricky one. Being stocked in Liberty is really cool and seeing my work in their store was a real pinch me moment. Last year, after the first lockdown I was invited to do a pop up in three HM Home stores.
Honestly, my business has changed so much over the past 5/6 years, it’s gone from bespoke work, home interiors, workshops, the kits and now I’m trying to build on my own furniture collection, which is really exciting me.
What is your favourite ‘sweet thing’ & why?
Ohhh, I love a good cardi bun!
Do you have any advice you could share / wish you knew yourself when starting up your own business?
The only advice I can give is based on my own experience. For me, staying active on social media has always really helped me to grow and raise awareness of my work. People are interested in the process and development stages of what I do, not just my products. It’s the juicy bit and provides value to the viewer. Of course, that being said, show some of your processes but keep some of them private (your own tricks and secrets!).
I would also advise young designers to trust their gut too. You know what feels right for your brand and work, you don’t need to say yes to everything all of the time.
Gillies’ new collection sampling process
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Really going to the cinema. Probably one of my favourite things to do, so I’m happy that they have reopened. I enjoy spending a lot of time at home too, cooking (trying to get better at this), going out to my local coffee shop and saying hello to them, walking around the neighbourhood, simple things.
You're doing a lot of workshops now too - Do you remember your first ever workshop? How was that? & for anyone interested in attending one, where can they book?
Ah yes! It was in the summer of 2018 for the London Design Festival. There were classes of 20 people too and I was just bricking it, but they went down a treat and I could see how much everyone enjoyed it. In the beginning, my mum used to help at one point too, which was really sweet.
I enjoy teaching workshops so much, and I’ve been lucky to have taught them around the UK and Europe. I had workshops booked in for 3 weeks in the USA, but due to covid they were cancelled but I really hope to resume those in 2022.
I’m only teaching workshops at my studio in Nottingham right now, spaces are available for 2022 over on my website.
Your new collection ‘PLAY‘ has a very bold palette compared to your previous pastels colour ways… Do you decide on colours depending on your mood?
Ah okay, so PLAY is always something that is within a collection. It’s a surface design of all of the current collections palette and it's created with marbling, terrazzo, block colour techniques. It’s my favourite part of the collection!
You have designed & made SO many things; from trays to coasters, soap dishes, plinths, mirror frames and tables.. are you looking to expand the collection even further in the future?
Currently working on furniture, tables, side tables and pedestals.
Do you have any favourite brands / designers to shop homewares?
Studio Proba, I’m very lucky to have some of her work at home and she is someone who I really look up to. I try to shop small as much as possible, some of my favourite brands are Marilyne Blais, Studio KJP, Mimi Ceramics, Abs Objects and Slowdown Studio.
I remember when I was around 20, going to Copenhagen and visiting HAY House and being in total awe. HAY have been a company I love shopping with, and I’m luckily to have an ongoing relationship with their London team, more news soon!
Ok, pretend for a minute Jesmonite didn’t exist! What would be your second material /medium to turn to?
100% copper, which is probably not what anyone would like. I used to work with it all the time, creating bespoke copper panelling surfaces. Maybe one day I’ll introduce it back.
I’m also intrigued by eco-resin. My degree is in textiles and that’s potentially something I would go back into too.
We need to know some of your go to’s on the playlist at the studio please…
I make my own - currently James Blake's new album, WILLOW, a bitta KAYTRANADA, always Jorja Smith, Doja Cat, SZA and BADBADNOTGOOD!
What are your plans for the rest of today?
Designing new post cards, tape, and tissue paper for the new collection! Ciao!
Thanks Katie! 🥨
Follow @ktgillies_surfacedesign on Instagram
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