---

Could you please describe your creative practice?

Our creative practice is multifaceted. Together we run a design studio called Superficial, create digital artworks and recently launched a future-conscious homeware brand called Era Forma.

At the core, all of these aspects bring together art direction, computer-generated imagery (CGI) and code to create visual experiences with a focus on digital innovation.

When did your creative journey begin?

Since we were young, we’ve always been interested in creative pursuits. We both went to Belmont High and did art and graphic design as part of our VCE subjects. Andrew also did the VET multimedia course at the Gordon.

We went on to study in Melbourne–Belinda did Communications Design at RMIT and Andrew studied Multimedia at Swinburne. In the second year of our degree, we decided to do an exchange semester. Belinda went to Malmö, Sweden and Andrew to Düsseldorf, Germany. While on exchange we both studied interaction design and it opened our worlds to generative and installation based artworks. It was definitely a formative experience and ultimately shaped our career paths. During this time, we were often collaborating on artworks and side-projects together.

After graduating, we worked for a year in Melbourne before moving to Berlin for a year, and then onto Shanghai for another year. Both were incredible and very different experiences that broadened our life and approach to creative work. We then made the move to New York City where we ended up living and working for 10 years. In the first few years Belinda worked at Pentagram, a graphic design and brand agency, while Andrew was at Sapient Nitro, a digital agency.

In 2016, we decided to go out on our own, and Superficial was born. At the time, we were really drawn to 3D and the ability to create worlds and ideas that were not possible through more traditional methods. We immersed ourselves into learning 3D and CGI tools, combining our years of experience in the design and advertising world, with this new method of image making and interactive design. It allowed us to tap into a new realm of creation.

What inspired you to pursue a career in the creative field?

It was simply what we were drawn to and felt like the most natural step.

How do you connect with the Greater Geelong area through your work?

Our families live in Geelong and we come to visit regularly. We are always inspired by nature, and often discover new flowers or plant species that end up inspiring our work. We spotted this incredible grevillea flower on one of our walks in Geelong that inspired our Inflorescence series.

It’s been really nice coming back over the years and seeing the changes and new spots that have opened up. There are new galleries and art spaces which we always like to check out when we can. 

What challenges or barriers have you encountered in your career?

One of the challenges is finding an optimal balance and time for both commercial work and personal, artistic projects. Both are incredibly important. On one hand you need to do commercial projects to sustain and run a studio, however, you also need to balance that with time and space for artistic endeavours, research and development. This experimentation leads to new discoveries or methods of creation that in turn informs commercial projects.

Looking ahead, what would you like to achieve?

We excited to do more physical installations and public artworks. Most of our work over the past decade has been digital. It has been fun to translate that to create new experiences that bridge to physical spaces and objects.