Monica Rohan Easton Pearson

Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson are the fashion designers behind the celebrated label Easton Pearson. ‘I was honoured to spend time with them and rummage through the history of their iconic style,’ says Monica Rohan.

‘Vibrant, detailed patterns feature heavily in my paintings and with this one I had an eminent catalogue of textiles to draw from. I had access to their Brisbane workshop and their look-books spanning the last 27 years, so I could immerse myself in their collection.

‘Pam and Lydia work together closely and the clothes they make reflect this personal relationship. I hoped to represent something of this synthesis in their creative partnership. Through our discussions we agreed that they should be handling and interacting with the textiles. I’ve painted them in the midst of a swirling mass of their fabulous, bold designs.’

Born in Beaudesert, Queensland, in 1990, Rohan is a 2011 Honours graduate from Queensland College of the Arts. She is a finalist in the 2016 Gold Award at Rockhampton Art Gallery and has also been a finalist in the Redland Art Awards, the James Kiwi Watercolour Prize and the Churchie National Emerging Art Prize. In 2015, she was selected for the significant survey show Goma Q, which showcases Queensland artists at the Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art. This is her first time in the Archibald Prize. Her portrait of Easton and Pearson is now in the Griffith University Art Collection.