Meet Trish Clark

Posted by Trish Clark on

Long an environmental activist, Trish is also a well-travelled lover of art, architecture and design and, since 1982, a highly respected gallery owner (check out her gallery here where there's now an artshop pop-up) and art adviser: artshop is her brainchild. 

Evolving from my love of unspoilt nature and long-time cruising in New Zealand's coastal waters (invariably punctuated by wonderful periods of playful dolphin accompaniment), I brought my 3 children up with what were then considered 'fringe' approaches to health and environmental practices that are happily more mainstream now (hard to believe that eating organics or not spraying were ever considered fringe!). If we all nourish ourselves and our loved ones, care for the earth, and practice a circular economy to the greatest extent possible, humanity may make it through the 21st century.

Joy in values-based relationships nourished by soulful aesthetic and sensory pleasures naturally led to my becoming a proponent of the great 19th century English designer William Morris's old adage 'Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful'. I was fortunate enough to grow up in an environment of care and dedication to architecture, design, ground-breaking innovation and meaningful making: Dad founded New Zealand's famed Crown Lynn Potteries in 1938 as the 4th generation of his family who were pioneers in New Zealand's brick industry.   

I believe if there's to be stuff in the world, then make it of lasting quality, produced ethically and sustainably, and offering real sensory pleasure to both its maker and its owner. With artshop, I hope to build a tribe of like-minded people who share similar values and pleasures. I figure we are probably 'buy once, buy well' people: we want things that last, made with passion and care rather than speed. And I want to lighten the load of frazzled women (and men!) everywhere. I'm saying, 'I've done the searching, scrutinizing and curating, so you can buy online with confidence'. (Curating high-level art since 1982 has given me the requisite experience and credibility for this!).

I do hope you come on this journey with me.

X Trish

 

Heartfelt place #1 Bay Of Islands, New Zealand

Heartfelt place #2 Texas desert on the road to Marfa, USA

Heartfelt place #3 Great Barrier Island, New Zealand