My name is Tracey Lee, South African born and bred and now a proud resident of The Netherlands. I am a wife and mother and then secondly a passionate lover of all things arty and creative – irrespective of the medium or canvas.
kiff (ki:f) / adjective – Southern African slang meaning “excellent”, “cool”
When thinking of what to name the business, I took a trip down memory lane and embraced my South African roots. When we were younger and we really liked something we called it “kiff”. That’s a kiff bike, or you have a kiff new outfit. I want to share that experience, that feeling with you and have created each item by hand and with love to give you a really kiff gift.
History
What is art and what is decoration? That is such a difficult question and I believe the answer is in the eye of the beholder. I have been passionate about art from a very early age, but could never have imagined that my canvas years later would be a nail. Have you ever tried telling a story or conveying a message on a canvas of 1 x 1,5 cm?
Through nail art and competitions I became familiar with nail products and what all I could do with them. I then started experimenting even more and realised quite quickly that each product had a basic function and then had specific characteristics that were suitable for other functions. A nail polish can be applied thinly and beautifully on a nail, but can also be applied on a piece of plastic, dried and then peeled off to create thin strands of hair. A gel polish creates a manicure that lasts 4 weeks, but can also be used to create sheets of polymer than can be crafted into different shapes and elements. We are only limited by our imagination.
Designing on nails became a challenge for me during 2022 as I was diagnosed with Graves Disease. My eyesight was affected and my hands shook uncontrollably. Doing nails became impossible, the canvas was too small, so I looked around for other larger canvasses in order to still be able to be creative under the circumstances that I found myself in. Fortunately a year later several symptoms are under control.
I remembered to look at objects not only for their basic function, but look at the possibilities they hold. This is the idea behind the concepts using artificial nail tips. On their own, the artificial nail tips are very limited in their basic function. They are there to elongate natural nails, however, when opening your mind, an artificial nail tip can become so much more. I am using this medium to create compositions with movement, form and structure beyond its basic function.
This was the start of my journey into a different area of art. Just like in nails, each canvas has a story, a message. With each item that I create, I am sharing a little bit of me with you. Several pieces are inspired by people, experiences and lessons in my life. Welcome to my world.