AT HOME WITH... Frankie Meaden

Multidisciplinary artist Frankie Meaden, 30, is known for her large-scale botanical embroidery sculptures made from recycled rope and street banners. She lives in Auckland’s Māngere Bridge with husband Charlie Meaden, who runs a tech start-up company, and their children, son Jesse, 8, and daughters Fern, 6, and Lola, 4.

FRANKIE Both Charlie and I are from the UK. We got married when I was 20 and the next day flew to Auckland, intending to stay a year or two, as Charlie’s father Gary is master jeweller here. Charlie also trained as a goldsmith and I started designing jewellery for another company.

When our son was born it was too hard to continue as I didn’t have the space to work at home. I’d started embroidery when I was 4 years old. Both my mother and great-grandmother used to sew and I fell in love with embroidery, which is usually seen as an old person’s activity. I guess I’ve been a grandma from the age of

4! I put down the needle while I was at art college in London, but in 2016 I picked it up again.

I’ve always been drawn to flowers and during lockdown I started embroidering and painting on denim jackets, which people kept asking me to do.

I was inspired to go big with my art after seeing a couple of overseas embroidery artists who were creating huge pieces for the side of buildings. I’d never seen embroidery on that kind of scale before so it blew my mind and inspired me to start experimenting with layering embroidery and paint.

I was commissioned by Auckland’s Heart of the City to produce a 9m by 2m embroidery sculpture called Flourishing that hung above Vulcan Lane last spring. It was inspired by the roses at the Parnell Rose Garden, which I’m slightly obsessed with.

I’ve been invited to take that artwork to Colorado Springs so will be flying out at the end of May to install it. It will be displayed there for a year. I’m currently working on another large work to be hung above Ōtara town centre, again using recycled plastic rope, nylon fishing net and old street banners I get from the council.

I work from the living room of our house. We’ve rented this place for four-and-a-half years and we love everything about it, especially the location. It’s close to the kids’ school and we’re next to a park.

The kids are used to having my equipment all over the place but they know not to bring their friends into my studio. I’m currently running out of room as the banners are taking over this space as well as the garage.

The kids share a bedroom – they really love doing that. They’ve also claimed the playroom downstairs as their own. It’s full of Lego and a big crafting table for my arty daughter Fern who likes to draw and paint. Whenever she meets people she tells them she’s an artist.

We don’t see ourselves moving anytime soon. It’s a great neighbourhood and the kids all have their friends here who hop between houses.