Off the wall

Written by Donna Mizzi Saturday, 30 July 2011

Emily Dupen gets into the 1950’s spirit to promote one of her wallpaper designs. © Terence Mendoza

Outstanding local artist and wallpaper designer Emily Dupen will be exhibiting at next month's Art Trail Wanstead. Donna Mizzi meets her.

Work by young Redbridge artist Emily Dupen has been compared with designs by William Morris and Andy Warhol. Her artfully drawn wallpaper was chosen over leading artists' designs when it came to publicising a highly prestigious Walls Are Talking exhibition in this country.

She labels her paper 'wallpaper extraordinaire'. Liberty of London agrees, and is snapping up Emily's distinctive retro images, while Fortnum and Mason is selecting a range of her cushions for its autumn collection. Her products also include plates, mugs, cushions, aprons and tiles, and Emily's work is now sold around the world.

One look at the Dupenny brand, and it's no surprise that this adventurous young entrepreneur is turning heads. Burlesque performers feature in her designs, as do slightly risqué housewives and half-naked women à la Calendar Girls covering up their charms with strategically positioned plates of cakes. The well-drawn figures are full of personality, and the emphasis is on cheekiness, inspired by pin-up artist Gil Elvgren. Some of her larger sized prints bring home the fact that her work is wall art, not just wall covering.

Her wallpapers also include a garden complete with gnomes, vintage skiers and knitwear prints. And a new design is just hitting the stores – patterns of synchronised swimmers.

Since she launched her business 21 months ago, Emily has won a clutch of prizes, including the Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Award, 100% Design Bursary Award and has been shortlisted for the Elle Decoration British Design Awards.

All the more incredible since Emily, now 29, had the traumatic experience of losing her hearing at age of 17 while doing her A-levels, just after accepting a place to study music at university. She was already winning the attention of major record labels with her girl band. Becoming profoundly deaf at that age is highly unusual, and doctors have never been able to discover the cause. She had to switch directions and manage for several years with deteriorating and then no hearing, and an appointed helper taking notes for her at Brighton University while she studied illustration. Her mother, Ann, a sugarcraft artist, teaches at the Allan Burgess Centre on the High Street.

Emily wants to encourage other artists, particularly anyone who has to cope with some major disadvantage. "I decided: if I can't be a famous singer, then I'll make it as an illustrator," she says. She advises other artists never to give up.

In the UK, Burlesque is her best seller – often destined for the walls of bachelor pads. Among the numerous ideas that Emily has for her future retro range, she's planning a design to particularly appeal to women. Along what lines is she thinking? "I'm thinking about hunks," she says with a cheeky smile.

During Art Trail Wanstead Emily's work will be shown in The Orange Tree and at Majestic Wine Warehouse, both on the High Street. Visit www.dupenny.com

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