Brandy Kraft
Brandy Kraft (b. 1984) is from South Florida and currently works in Stockholm, Sweden. Kraft is an artist focused on the subject of florals—inventing species of her own and bringing them to life through photography, painting, and sculpture. To dive deeper into the realm of flora, she returned to school in 2019 to become a certified florist.
Currently, her work centers on bringing new, imagined species of flora into the real world. Her creations are further anchored in reality through scientific-style documentation, with each being assigned new, invented binomial nomenclature. Kraft’s technically realistic style combines with imaginative vision to create works that are both intriguing and relevant today. Her art touches on themes of climate change, the dichotomy of fake reality versus actual diversity, and serves as a celebration of nature. Kraft lives and works in Stockholm, Sweden, with her husband and two children.
Artist Statement
Mankind is destroying the planet. This destruction has made me fascinated with preserving nature. I started with painting flowers—thousands of flowers in all states of life and decay. I wanted to preserve their beauty and prevent their extinction.
Then, suddenly, in my dreams and subconscious, I began having visions of new flowers—non-existent flowers. I started piecing these strange new hybrids together and realized I was not only creating new species of flora but also building a new world of my own, flower by flower, petal by petal.
Equally inspired by the nature of Sweden and one of its most famous scientists, I left life in New York City to move back to Sweden. Now I follow in the footsteps of Carl von Linné by naming and officially documenting each new hybrid flower species I create.
I am building a new, magical hybrid world, and this is just the beginning. The year 2023 has been about change and 3D development for my practice. I am moving away from a 2D focus and embracing new ways to create sculpture. I am excited to reveal a 3D-printed garden I have been working on for months in the spring of 2024. My hope is to inspire and aid people in seeing nature in a different way. We must cherish and celebrate her resiliency.
What is your first memory of creating?
In grade school, I was always the best in art class. I remember a few times kids stole my drawings and put their names on them.
What is your relationship to your medium? What draws you to it?
I love oil paint so much. I love the history of it, the chemistry of it, the feel of it. It feels empowering in a way I imagine magic would feel.
What is the main thing you hope your audience takes away from your art?
I hope they are inspired to look again and not overlook simple and familiar things such as flowers. I hope to inspire wonder.
Tell us about a challenge you overcame last year.
Last year, I was tasked with creating a 3D version of one of my flowers for an American luxury brand (which will be out in their stores in May!). I had zero clue how to do it when I said yes to the project. It took me months of trial and error, but I did it.
What is your main goal or resolution this year in terms of your art practice?
I want to do more collaborations to see my work expand across new mediums and be seen by different audiences. I have been working a lot with 3D design and printing and will debut some new sculptures in May of this year at Gothenburg Botanical Gardens. So, I would say that for now, my focus is very much in the 3D realm.
