Mural Unveiled at Faversham Food Village

Written by: Rosie Collins

01 Aug

To celebrate the official unveiling of our beautiful mural at Macknade Faversham Food Village, we caught up with its talented creator, Genevieve Devroey.

Read on to discover more about Gen and her inspiration for the eye-catching piece bringing vibrancy and colour to our popular outdoor eating area….

Tell us a little about yourself...

I returned to Kent from London and started working part time for Macknade in September 2020, having decided to leave my fashion design role at Asos to pursue a new direction. After 10 years working in fashion, I wanted to find a new career and lifestyle better suited to me and my interests, to other people and the planet. I wanted to return to being a creative artist, working with my hands, within a community and make a positive impact on people’s lives.

What influences your art style?

I have always loved print, large scale art, colour and the impact an environment can have on people’s moods. I love that street art is becoming more widely accepted and appreciated, particularly during the last year, as we all understand more about how creativity can have a positive impact on our mental wellbeing. I really wanted to be a part of bringing that positivity into other people’s lives.

Tell us more about the mural and what inspired you to create it

Macknade’s brief was to create a piece that incorporated their love of community, great quality foods and the local area and I was moved by their family feel and passion for working sustainably, with artisan producers.

I took inspiration from elements around Faversham, including the oast house, hops and the beautiful creek and even did some of my preliminary sketches sitting on the creek bank. By reflecting the beauty of the surrounding area in the piece, I wanted to bring a sense of joy to everyone who visits the Food Village.

I also included some elements of Macknade’s Italian heritage into the design, with the plinths, arches, and olive trees. Taking these, along with dancing figures, positive messages, a bold colour palette and playfully working with scale, I wanted to convey an uplifting feeling of movement and energy.

What was the most enjoyable part of creating the mural?

Without a doubt it was selecting the colour palette. This piece has such a lovely combination of happy colours which make me feel warm inside, and I love how they pop out against the black of the sheds. Creating the mural was a fantastic opportunity for me to come together in a creative way with Macknade and I loved doing it

What's next for you and where can people find your work?

After leaving London, I immersed myself in a variety of creative areas, exploring pottery, painting and photography. Now, I want to focus on working with brands by bringing creative content into their physical spaces, marketing, and social media. You can view my work on my Instagram @gd_designstudio

Mural Unveiled at Faversham Food Village

"I took inspiration from elements around Faversham, including the oast house, hops and the beautiful creek and even did some of my preliminary sketches sitting on the creek bank."