Home is where our art is
Robyn Lea spent 18 months photographing the homes of trailblazing women whose entire lives are a canvas for their artistry.
Sworld he was raised in Ballarat with a rural Victorian childhood and “a great interest in the natural world”. But Robyn Lea always dreamed of living overseas and at the age of 15 started plotting her future. “I had these plans of understanding the
through the eyes of artists and writers and I thought photography would be a wonderful way to take me there,” she tells The Weekly. Those dreams come to life in Robyn’s stunning and intriguing new book A Room of Her Own.
The starting point for the work was Robyn’s concept of the 21st century woman. “To me this is a woman who unashamedly breaks the rules. She’s not interested in following a set path. She doesn’t go about what she wants to do necessarily loudly, but has the confidence to pursue her own journey.” Robyn flew around the globe photographing 20 of these trailblazing women in their homes, which range from castles to palaces to townhouses, all with their own unique aura. Their owners are painters, sculptors, writers, chefs, designers, curators and more. “I would love people to appreciate the worlds of these women, including their struggles, because it hasn’t all been castles and confetti.”
Robyn lived in Milan for three years working as a photographer and meeting many of the women she profiles. And while the book includes homes from all over the world, Robyn can’t help but constantly return to Europe. “I think it’s the history I love,” she says. “For someone coming from Australia that’s always going to be intoxicating.”
Robyn hopes that she will inspire readers to embrace the richness of colour and pattern in their own homes. “Bring that into your rooms and it makes a huge difference to how you feel.”