About +
erica gray wearables
About me....well, I have a working background within the fashion industry, working within a variety of sewing styles, from leather fashion, resort wear, bridalwear and costuming to designing and dressmaking for my own design label. I later transitioned to a more art based career with a focus on sculpture. My work has now come full circle, combining my past love of fashion with my obsession for art.
Bio:
Wearables are a natural progression to sculptural works. My pieces often incorporating a blend of traditional couture sewn techniques, sculptured elements, material manipulation, as well as a combination of freehand or machine 3D printed componentry. This interests in exotic materials, natural structures and incorporated 3D technologies have led to my own unique style and approach to contemporary design.
With awards in both wearable art and sculpture, I recently took home the award for Artistic Excellence, in Townsville’s 2017 Strand Ephemera Sculpture Exhibition. I've also gained a number of accolades over the years in wearable sculpture, including a section category win my first entry into the prestigious World of WearableArt Awards Show in 2012. WOW is an international competition held yearly in New Zealand and I have been fortunate to have been a WOW finalist seven times including my 2017 entry piece, showing a total of nine garments in all, presened on stage in the World of WearableArt Stage Show.
Bio:
An award-winning artist–designer, who creates unique art & wearables; Art pieces that often incorporate a blend of traditional hand-sewn techniques with both freehand & machine-based 3D printed componentry. Her artwork is regularly exhibited nationally & internationally. And some of Erica’s achievements include the Award for Artistic Excellence in the 2017 Strand Ephemera, Runner-up in the Wearable Technology Award 2017, as well as 1st place in the Creative Excellence section in 2012, at the prestigious World of Wearable Art Awards Show. Displaying artwork in group & solo exhibitions, including the Gold Coast City Gallery, the Tweed Regional Gallery & numerous select private galleries. She also works in collaborative projects as a focus on providing further multi-disciplined visual layers to her pieces. Collaborative creatives have included zoran architecture, Karen Jerzyk Photo & the Huxley School of Makeup to name the most recent.
Bio:
Wearables are a natural progression to sculptural works. My pieces often incorporating a blend of traditional couture sewn techniques, sculptured elements, material manipulation, as well as a combination of freehand or machine 3D printed componentry. This interests in exotic materials, natural structures and incorporated 3D technologies have led to my own unique style and approach to contemporary design.
With awards in both wearable art and sculpture, I recently took home the award for Artistic Excellence, in Townsville’s 2017 Strand Ephemera Sculpture Exhibition. I've also gained a number of accolades over the years in wearable sculpture, including a section category win my first entry into the prestigious World of WearableArt Awards Show in 2012. WOW is an international competition held yearly in New Zealand and I have been fortunate to have been a WOW finalist seven times including my 2017 entry piece, showing a total of nine garments in all, presened on stage in the World of WearableArt Stage Show.
Bio:
An award-winning artist–designer, who creates unique art & wearables; Art pieces that often incorporate a blend of traditional hand-sewn techniques with both freehand & machine-based 3D printed componentry. Her artwork is regularly exhibited nationally & internationally. And some of Erica’s achievements include the Award for Artistic Excellence in the 2017 Strand Ephemera, Runner-up in the Wearable Technology Award 2017, as well as 1st place in the Creative Excellence section in 2012, at the prestigious World of Wearable Art Awards Show. Displaying artwork in group & solo exhibitions, including the Gold Coast City Gallery, the Tweed Regional Gallery & numerous select private galleries. She also works in collaborative projects as a focus on providing further multi-disciplined visual layers to her pieces. Collaborative creatives have included zoran architecture, Karen Jerzyk Photo & the Huxley School of Makeup to name the most recent.
Tools and equipment
Some of the tools and equipment in my work space include an array of dressmakers’ forms, from torso’s, full body to mask and hat blocks essential for producing a consistency in size and fit. On my work table, within hands reach is also my sewing kit including sharp shears, needles, threads & thimbles etc. Other tools are a variety of 3D printers and 3D printer pens, the 3Doodler pen among them as well as an array of specialty filaments for each. Hardly a day goes by without me reaching for one or another of my favourite go-to tools.
Materials:
I utilise the same filament used in desktop 3D printers, except in my work I utilise a hand held 3D printer pen. Most of my pieces are all hand drawn, so twisted, skewed and intertwined elements within the design are critical to the aesthetic language and character of my work.
TPU (thermoplastic filament) a flexible plastic/ polymer material which I utilize in my work. Care instructions: Can be gently cleaned in soapy water, rinsed and dried flat in a cool dry place. Always store in a cool dry place, in a hat box preferably.
ABS: Thermoplastic oil based plastic utilised for its rigidity and longer life span.
PLA: (PolyLactictide) A biodegradable filament thermoplastic derived from renewable plant based fibres, such as corn starch, sugar cane etc.
My pieces are all personally hand sculpted and drawn, not machine fabricated, so tailored cosmetic imperfections are considered and woven into the designs to maintain a non-machine based, bespoke aesthetic . These uneven, skewed and intertwined elements are critical to the character, aesthetic and language of my handcrafted technique.
Materials:
I utilise the same filament used in desktop 3D printers, except in my work I utilise a hand held 3D printer pen. Most of my pieces are all hand drawn, so twisted, skewed and intertwined elements within the design are critical to the aesthetic language and character of my work.
TPU (thermoplastic filament) a flexible plastic/ polymer material which I utilize in my work. Care instructions: Can be gently cleaned in soapy water, rinsed and dried flat in a cool dry place. Always store in a cool dry place, in a hat box preferably.
ABS: Thermoplastic oil based plastic utilised for its rigidity and longer life span.
PLA: (PolyLactictide) A biodegradable filament thermoplastic derived from renewable plant based fibres, such as corn starch, sugar cane etc.
My pieces are all personally hand sculpted and drawn, not machine fabricated, so tailored cosmetic imperfections are considered and woven into the designs to maintain a non-machine based, bespoke aesthetic . These uneven, skewed and intertwined elements are critical to the character, aesthetic and language of my handcrafted technique.
Friends & collaborations
In addition to working with private clients, I also collaborate with industry professionals, among them architects, photographers, stylists,digital artists and videographers to produce and showcase some of these items as well as incorporating them into standalone pieces, including video, augmented visuals, printed wearables and enhanced couture.
Some links to friends & collaborators websites below:
zoran architecture
Huxley School of Makeup
Karen Jerzyk Photo
Gothic Zen Studios
Tammy Schuh Photography
Jake Hempson Artist
Leslie Liu photography
bio:
Erica is a designer, an artist and an erstwhile fashion designer with an extensive working background within the fashion industry itself. She has adapted her wealth of knowledge within fashion, her love for sculptural form, and understanding of three-dimensional printing technology and materials, to produce her own range of exclusively handcrafted tech-couture headpieces, masks and accessories. She has also collaborated with architects, digital 3d artists and videographers to produce these showcase items and incorporate them into standalone pieces incorporating video, augmented visuals, printed wearables and enhanced couture.
left:Erica Gray & Zoran Zivanovic
Some links to friends & collaborators websites below:
zoran architecture
Huxley School of Makeup
Karen Jerzyk Photo
Gothic Zen Studios
Tammy Schuh Photography
Jake Hempson Artist
Leslie Liu photography
bio:
Erica is a designer, an artist and an erstwhile fashion designer with an extensive working background within the fashion industry itself. She has adapted her wealth of knowledge within fashion, her love for sculptural form, and understanding of three-dimensional printing technology and materials, to produce her own range of exclusively handcrafted tech-couture headpieces, masks and accessories. She has also collaborated with architects, digital 3d artists and videographers to produce these showcase items and incorporate them into standalone pieces incorporating video, augmented visuals, printed wearables and enhanced couture.
left:Erica Gray & Zoran Zivanovic
zoran architecture collaboration
Left is a piece Zoran designed which utilised a combination of freehand extruded and 3D printed componentry.
BIG BANG (to being) BRA
“It all starts with a BANG! Void, Explosion, Orbs, Sustained Life… though we do it more than once”
Technical overview:
A combination of machine and freehand 3D print technologies as well as lighting in bust area,
Concept:
A computer drawn and conceived bra utilising a combination of digitally processed 3D printing and hand sculpted (analogue???) 3D printing. the shapes are formed using extruded PLA (Plastic) with the digitally produced base becoming the canvas for the hand finished details. other materials such as foam, fabric and acrylic are used in (very) small parts for support, however this piece is pretty much all 3D technology... and you can reprint it when it wears out.
design, 3D prints & words: Zoran Zivanovic
Analogue (freehand 3D printing): Erica Gray
BIG BANG (to being) BRA
“It all starts with a BANG! Void, Explosion, Orbs, Sustained Life… though we do it more than once”
Technical overview:
A combination of machine and freehand 3D print technologies as well as lighting in bust area,
Concept:
A computer drawn and conceived bra utilising a combination of digitally processed 3D printing and hand sculpted (analogue???) 3D printing. the shapes are formed using extruded PLA (Plastic) with the digitally produced base becoming the canvas for the hand finished details. other materials such as foam, fabric and acrylic are used in (very) small parts for support, however this piece is pretty much all 3D technology... and you can reprint it when it wears out.
design, 3D prints & words: Zoran Zivanovic
Analogue (freehand 3D printing): Erica Gray
Huxley School of Makeup
Working in collaboration with the talented team & students from the Huxley School of Makeup and including some of my wearables, amazing make up & que models to present beautiful editorial quality photos.
Tammy Schuh Photography
Photoshoot with Tammy Schuh in Townsville earlier this year with some fashion pieces I had made utilizing the 3Doodler Create, printer pen while on my stay with Fibre Arts Australia, as artist in residence.
Photo: Tammy Schuh
Model: Josephine Bayley
Leslie Liu Photography
Very cool to have some of my masks & wearables included in beautiful portraits by Leslie Liu photography, see more of Leslie's work here.
Model: Sophia Stace
Photo: Leslie Liu
red mask: erica gray
Model: Sophia Stace
Photo: Leslie Liu
red mask: erica gray
