For Brett Campbell and Kari The Kissing Project has become a six-year labour of love – producing a spectacular, full sized mosaic rendition of one of the world's most recognisable paintings.
Pic courtesy of Jayden Toohey.
What began as a shared artistic challenge for Sunshine Coast couple Brett Campbell and Kari has become a six-year labour of love – a spectacular, full-sized mosaic rendition of one of the world's most recognisable paintings.
Their creation, known as The Kissing Project, is a 1.8m by 1.8m interpretation of Austrian artist Gustav Klimt's famous painting The Kiss, painstakingly assembled from thousands of individually shaped ceramic pieces, custom-made tiles and real gold leaf.
The finished artwork weighs an estimated 150kg and represents an extraordinary collaboration between two artists whose skills and personalities complement each other.
Brett, an experienced mosaic artist who abandoned a career in banking and finance to pursue his passion, has spent more than 25 years creating large-scale mosaics and murals in Australia and overseas. Kari, a ceramic artist and storyteller with 20 years' experience working with clay, contributed custom embossed and engraved tiles, textured surfaces and intricate gold gilding.
Together, they embarked on a project that took considerably longer than expected. “We thought it would take a year. It took six,” said Kari. Along the way, their relationship deepened as the artwork evolved through countless creative decisions, setbacks and discoveries.
The finished mosaic was unveiled earlier this year at a local celebration featuring music and dancing. Now the couple hope to share their creation with a much wider audience. They are exploring opportunities for a significant temporary public exhibition on the Sunshine Coast, giving local residents an opportunity to experience the artwork before it eventually finds a permanent home.
The mosaic may also travel to other locations, while the couple's longer-term ambitions include establishing a shared creative space for classes, commissions and artistic collaborations.
More information, photographs and an eight-minute documentary can be found at www.thekissingproject.com.au.
