Meet Bianca Harrington!
Hello friends!
We have been absolutely bursting at the seams to introduce you to our 2026 JUMBLED Art Superstar - Bianca Harrington!!!!
Bianca's work is so insanely intricate and layered - you really can't stop studying every inch of her pieces! Delicately hand cut paper shapes - textured tissue - slathers of paint and etches of pencil... Bianca's art is a feast for the eyes!
We HAD to know what makes Bianca's brain fire - so we sat down to get to know her a little better. So make a cuppa and enjoy a chat with Bianca Harrington - and her first ever JUMBLED collection!
Enjoy,
Love Pip and the JUMBLED gang xxx
How do you describe your art practice?
My current work depicts a simplified still life moment at home, but on closer inspection there are subtle details hinting at the wider world around. I'll often feature a table-scape or botanicals with folk motifs that are symbolic of our collective home and human-ness, then zooming right out to our planet and universe, adding flora or fauna and celestial impressions to represent all that surrounds us. I love exploring this dramatic contrast and it's really a glimpse of the constant thoughts and questions going through my mind.
I use my own painted papers which I cut and affix to a wood panel. I build on my composition with many mediums including acrylic, graphite, oil pencils, acrylic paints, and charcoal. It's a really long process but I love the scissor cut edges, the way the flat layers overlap and create a raised surface. My uncommon approach creates my own distinct style and comes from a place of patience, developed during my lifetime of working creatively.
What medium did you start with? How does it differ from your work now?
I have explored so many mediums over my life. Most notably was probably my time studying (Kensington and Chelsea College) and working as a Milliner in London. It was during this time that I really had the chance to see how a studio practice operates, seeding my path to becoming an artist.
When making and designing hats and headpieces your imagination is really your only limit.
I learnt to translate a simple illustration into a 3D form that looks compositionally balanced from all angles using varied media such as textiles, yarns, straws, plastic, and feathers just to name a few. It certainly stretched my brain creatively! When I returned home to Australia I took botanical illustration classes so my initial art medium was watercolour paints.
My work is extremely different now with my ubiquitously flattened 2D aesthetic and especially with the exclusion of shadows and depth. Working with a pre painted paper palette to arrange overlapping shapes feels more akin to balancing a millinery piece than straight up painting. Brandishing a pair of scissors is definitely a nod to my previous years of working with textiles.
What was your childhood like?
My earliest years were spent in the western suburbs of Melbourne. I would describe myself as a bit feral, secretly jumping into all of my surrounding neighbour's yards to befriend all of their pets. I had lots of pets of my own too and my favourite past time was collecting insects and then going to the doctors for bites and infected fingers. Some of my earliest creative memories are my Mum dropping me off at my Nannas for the school holidays with a big bag full of scrap fabrics and elastic that I would then spend days sewing into scrunchies! It was the 80's!
We then moved to Southbank and later, St Kilda. I had the NGV on my doorstep which I would rollerblade to. It was the 90's! I was exposed to a whole new world of art and weekend makers markets and craft shows that Mum and I would frequent. My mum is also a maker and practicing textile Artist (@quaintmarie) so I was always encouraged to make and create.
What is a typical day for you?
I am a mother of 2 primary school aged boys so my day revolves around the school day. I usually start working at around 10. Every day is different. Being an artist or maker is rarely just about making art although I really wish it was! If the light is good I'll do product photography. If I've sold a piece my priority is packaging and shipping. Then there are the best days when I'm so bursting with inspiration that it takes over like a madness. I'll have to set an alarm to remember to pick up the kids! After doing the post school merry-go-round of extra-curricular activities, playdates and snacks, I can then head back into the studio to continue to channel that unforced energy into my work whilst my partner picks up the baton for the evening.
Where do you gather inspiration from?
My inspiration mostly comes from my immediate surrounds and my constantly wandering thoughts. I have a little collection of pelargoniums and yellow hued glassware that are often mused upon in my work. But honestly my inspiration can spiral from fleeting moments which I describe as "little sparks of awe" or maybe I'll listen to an interesting podcast and hint at that in my work. I've got a very curious kind of mind. I'm currently really inspired by those strange human experiences that science can't explain, so it's going to be interesting to see how that manifests in my work. Allowing myself to just play is probably the source of most of my inspiration.
What do you listen to while you work? Podcasts or music?
I really love both! My podcast taste is very broad ranging from chats with artists, to the workings of the human mind. I occasionally listen to audiobooks too, except when I'm trying to concentrate. Then I will simply enjoy listening to the birds which we are really lucky to live amongst.
When you're not creating, what do you like to do?
I sometimes love to see live music and it's been really great seeing some of my 90's favourites touring Australia over the last couple of years such as The Flaming Lips, Pixies, Pulp, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Belle and Sebastian! But in the day to day I love being in nature with my family, reverting to my childhood of spotting insects and being curious. Walking my dog, baking bread has been pretty key these last couple of years. Looking at art! Can you tell I'm an introvert yet?!
If you weren't an artist, what would you be?
So many things!! There are so many professions that would really interest me! An Entomologist, Neurologist, Flower Farmer, Sustainable Homes Architect, Baker. Honestly this list could go on a while. Making, and creating art, is extremely fulfilling and addictive so I think I could fill a few lifetimes with all that I wish to try creatively.
What does the future look like?
I'm an anxious person, so thinking about the future gives me anxiety! The future belongs to our children so I am just hopeful for a healthy planet and world that all children can continue to live life on. For me it's hopefully lots more opportunities for art!
