Meet Daimon Downey, the contemporary Sydney based artist collaborating with SUNNYLiFE this season!
Here at SUNNYLiFE we are always excited to work alongside independent Australian artists. With a studio overlooking the iconic Bondi Beach, Daimon shares in our passion for the summer lifestyle. For the new season collection Daimon has reflected the bright and uplifting SUNNYLiFE aesthetic, creating a range of unique prints in his signature style.
Photographed by Benito Martin.
To create his playful designs Daimon uses a paper cut collage technique and retro colour scheme. The SUNNYLiFE Design Team then transformed the prints into ultra-stylish yet functional lifestyle essentials and floats. Inspired by vintage European style, the result is a collaboration which is both sophisticated and cheerful, ready to be enjoyed!
Want to know more about Daimon? To celebrate the launch of our new collaboration products, we sat down with the artist himself to talk about his process and inspiration.
When did you first start creating art?
If I had a crayon in the womb I would have begun there. Since forever I was always the kid that was drawing and painting and throughout school art was the only class I took seriously which led me to being accepted to study art when I was pretty young. I had a 14 year hiatus into the music world and now the last decade has been a pure deep dive back into the creative arts world.
Who is another artist that you admire?
There are so so many who I admire for there incredible contributions to the history of art. The men and women who changed the aesthetic or political course of their time on this planet. The greats are the greats as we all know but sometimes someone’s story is so extraordinary for its time that it seems to far out to be real. Let me introduce you to HILMA OF KLINT. Born 1862. My admiration comes from her mind blowing ability to create the greatest collection of abstract masterpieces before abstract was even a twinkle in Kandinskys eye and the unbelievable reason why they were painted. This has it all, secrecy, witchcraft, and abstract art…. Enjoy.
Have you always lived in Sydney?
I was born in Cape Town but we came to Australia when I was a bub and grew up in a tiny little town called Bellingen, New South Wales. Sydney came after studying in Queensland. I turned 19 the week I moved to Australia’s big smoke. A suitcase full of paints and pastels and tone of youthful energy. After some interesting career changes I have now been in Sydney permanently for 12 years but my feet are getting itchy.
What is your favourite beach holiday destination?
Hands down the Amalfi Coast is the right vibes for me… swim. Wet board shorts and bare feet in the restaurant, big bowl of vongole, light sunburn, nap by the water, long dinner then pass out with the windows wide open…. repeat.
Now in Australia Broome is one of the strangest, most authentic, stunning faraway places we have. I am a repeat visitor and find it is a magnet for me. Pure magic!
What is your favourite product from the collaboration?
I don’t want to hurt the other products feelings but I love the Bella and the Moroccan Lilos… But then there's the vintage pool ring, oh and the shaved terry towel…. ok too hard. You decide.
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