Carl Cozier on finding perfection in nature

wearable art collab

Holy Moly x Kenzie (9)

Carl Cozier, otherwise known as Holy Moly, joined forces with 9-year-old Kenzie from the SDN 004 Mentarang school in Pulau Sapi. Kenzie appreciates the beauty and perfection that he sees in nature. All proceeds from the merch sales will go towards helping his school.

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Kenzie (9)

Pulau Sapi, Indonesia

Kenzie is a 9-year-old pupil at SDN 004 Mentarang, living in the small town of Pulau Sapi in North Kalimantan. When given the theme of perfection, his mind immediately goes to nature. To Kenzie, perfection is not an unrealistic, unattainable standard. It’s simply being good, which is something we can all strive to be.

Holy Moly aka Carl Cozier

Bristol, United Kingdom

Carl Cozier is a British illustrator and designer. He is often referred to by his artist name Holy Moly, which appeals to the quirkier, more irreverent part of his personality. His explosive and exciting art style can be seen everywhere, from the book cover of Mikaela Loach’s ‘It's Not That Radical: Climate Action to Transform Our World’ to the branding of the Boomtown Festival.

A drawing based on the theme of ‘perfection’

For his drawing, Kenzie (9) was given the theme of perfection. The goal of the exercise was to see what perfection means to him and how he would visually depict the essence of it. Kenzie focussed on nature, depicting birds, trees, and the sun. It was clear that his idea of perfection is very closely linked to the natural world. He explained to us that his drawing is ‘sempurna’ (perfect), because it’s ‘bagus’ (good/beautiful).

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Making art together with Kenzie

“I studied Kenzie’s drawing and then isolated parts that I felt would work in my inspired piece. I was taken immediately by the shape of the birds and wanted these to be the main thread combining his style and mine. Kenzie mentioned ‘soaring birds’. That instantly triggered a memory of experiencing murmurations here in the UK. These are massive, fluid clouds of starlings. It felt like this could be the unifying experience that bridged our two worlds as I felt that same sense of ‘perfection’ that Kenzie talks about when he speaks so powerfully about nature.”

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Perfection as the state of being good

Kenzie explained to us: “I want to be perfect, because perfect is good”. This gave us another glimpse into his understanding of perfection. It seems that perfection to him isn’t some unattainable standard, but a form of goodness that everyone can strive towards.

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Carl’s collab with Kenzie

“I actually found it super humbling and inspiring and really enjoyed the experience.” When asked what he will take with him from this collab, Carl says: “I think the beauty of its simplicity, both in form and message, will stay with me for sure.”

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