Meet the maker: Rosy & Rich, Whangarei partners in art and life.
Richard Darbyshire and Rosie Parsonson are partners in life as well as creativity
A deep respect for each other’s art practice lies at the heart of the creative partnership between Rosie Parsonson and Richard Darbyshire – aka Rosy & Rich – who are not only partners in the studio but in life too. The Whangarei-based pair also make art individually to energise and keep the chemistry of their work together fresh. They work across several disciplines to create their ornate and distinctive artworks, specialising in some of the more traditional mediums of ceramics, painting, printing and sculpture. Influenced by enduring themes, particularly around human stories, their most recent show, Life is Beautiful at Whangarei’s Megan Dickinson Gallery, sought to find a “classic and contemporary beauty in adornment and decoration, portraiture and the gaze, graphic art, small furry animals and having fun”. Featuring all manner
of weird and wonderful creatures, their work ranges from portraits and murals to fine art intaglio prints and large ceramic sculptures. The couple say they loved the street appeal aesthetic of their work and the way highbrow meets lowbrow. The duo find collaborating with other talented creatives is an important part of the Rosy & Rich process, and name Rosie’s mother Peggy Yates, an accomplished textile artist, as their favourite person to work with.
Our favourite things are this Hope ceramic plate in our art collection by Peter McIntyre (1). Richard’s well-worn favourite skull ring by New Jewellery (2). The little pink nose and green eyes on our cat Tu Tu (3). Rosie’s favourite tumblers made by Richard’s former ceramic students collected over the years (4). See more at m11studio.com/rosy-rich.