Brighton artist Lois O’Hara has joined forces with design brand Habitat to create a special store-front to celebrate this year’s Brighton & Hove Pride Festival. Lois’ colourful aesthetic – which decorated the Brighton seafront with her ‘Colourful Crossing’ art installation in 2018 – was spotted by Habitat’s Design Studio and has been commissioned to create a giant artwork celebrating the Rainbow Pride flag to emerge from its Brighton city centre store out into North Street.
The artwork will be on display until Monday 5 August 2019.
“For our collaboration, I wanted to design something in my signature “wavey” style which would flow through the Habitat windows, creating an illusion of time stopping,” comments Lois.
“The window design is a representation of capturing the movement of the public walking past. The vibrant colours and rainbow stripes celebrate Pride and how important it is to celebrate diversity and freedom. I want this artwork to uplift and inspire others.”
“When we opened our new Habitat flagship here last year I really wanted to work closely with the local creative community by collaborating on a variety of design projects such as store installations and product collaborations that would celebrate Brighton and its unique atmosphere,” comments Kate Butler, Head of Design for Habitat.
“I’ve always felt Brighton is home to such inspirational creatives who each draw on their experiences from living and working in the city but expressing them in such different and original ways, so we’re thrilled to have worked with Lois to create this dramatic installation that celebrates colour and creative freedom, marking one of Brighton’s biggest celebrations.”
Habitat has also recently announced the shortlist of 12 artworks created by local creatives as part of its Brighton Art Project. Launched last year at the opening of its new city-centre store, the collaborative project asked local artists to submit artworks inspired by Brighton to be turned into products that will feature in future Habitat collections.
In 2018 Habitat worked with artists Becky Blair, Sophie Abbott and Lauri Hopkins to create a limited-edition collection of rugs to celebrate Habitat’s return to the city. Since then, the brand has received over 500 new entries through social media with a final shortlist of 12 being selected by Kate Butler, which are now being put forward for a public vote. The artworks that receive the most votes for will then be translated by Habitat’s Design Studio to form a second capsule collection ofhomewares due to launch in 2020.
Website: https://www.habitat.co.uk
Phone: 0344 245 1806
Opening Times: Mon – Weds & Fri & Sat: 9am – 6pm, Thurs: 9am-8pm, Sun: 10am-4pm