“I paint flesh because I’m human. Flesh is just the most beautiful thing to paint.” Jenny Saville’s voluptuous, rippling folds of flesh explore the living, breathing human experience. On one hand she is a painter’s painter, who relishes in the messy, smeary liquidity of oil paint, but she also draws parallels between the sensuality of painting and…
All posts by Rosie Lesso
In Marc Chagall’s swirling world of imaginative wonder, the rich, bluish purple hue of MAJESTY Linen appeared often, staining his canvases with a weighty, dramatic intensity. Throughout his career as a leading modernist, colour was a key component in Chagall’s art, not observed from nature but sprung forth from deep within his mind, expressing the…
Henri Matisse was an avid, obsessive collector, amassing a huge archive of incredible objects throughout his lifetime that clattered noisily against one another in his home studio. The most cherished of these possessions were Matisse’s impressively vast collection of textiles which he gathered from all over the world, including French tapestries, Persian rugs and African…
The Utagawa School was one the most successful periods in the history of Japanese ukiyo-e art, lasting from the late 18th to the late 19th century. Under the leadership of master printmaker Utagawa Toyoharu, the school revolutionised Japanese woodblock printing, discovering new techniques that allowed them to work quickly and efficiently, creating a huge array…
Italian husband-and-wife team Massimo and Lella Vignelli made a remarkable contribution to late 20th century design, ushering in a new brand of elegance, simplicity and order. Both trained as architects but their legacy is far more extensive, spanning silverware, bags, watches, furniture and typography. “If you can design one thing, you can design everything,” they…
French husband-and-wife team Ramdane Touhami and Victoire de Taillac are one of the busiest and most entrepreneurial couples of today. Both are cofounders of Officine Universelle Buly, a luxury beauty brand with an emphasis on whimsical, naturally derived hand-made products and vintage-inspired graphics. Nomadic in nature, the pair prefer a life of travel and adventure…
Mark Rothko knew how mesmerising night-time shades of blue could be, soaking them deep into the weave of his canvases until they formed intoxicating pools of darkness. The near-black shade of NIGHT BLUE Linen was one of his favourites, because it could invoke the raging drama and intensity of night, particularly when blurred at the…
For Mexican artist Frida Kahlo fabric was an incredibly powerful form of self-expression, one that made her an inimitable icon of the 20th century. She adored the indigenous fabrics of Mexico, with their lively, exuberant prints and intricate areas of ruffling and embroidery, drenching her body in layers and layers of traditional textiles. More than…
Isabel and Ruben Toledo are best known today as fashion’s greatest love story; their endless, intense love for one another is the foundation from which all their best ideas have grown. His whip-smart illustrations and her razor-sharp clothing have overlapped and intersected many times over the four decades they shared together. Even in the wake…
American painter Richard Diebenkorn is one of the 20th century’s most celebrated painters, capturing the hazy light of his native California with cool, crystalline colours like that of MICRO CHIP Linen. His world-renowned ‘Ocean Park’ series was made during the 1970s as inspired by the oceanic landscape of Santa Monica, where he had made his…
Gabriel Hendifar and Jeremy Anderson are the ingenious power couple behind famed lighting brand Apparatus, which has been steadily growing in stature over the last ten years. With a 40 strong team and a busy Manhattan workshop, Apparatus have developed a cult following for their eccentric take on lighting, which incorporates subversive materials including suede,…
American painter Cy Twombly’s brilliantly expressive artworks often feature searing hot pinks like RED BUD Linen. This ardent colour blazes like an angry fire in the belly of his art, igniting life into them like hot breath to a flame. Twombly was a leading member of late Abstract Expressionism, emerging out of 1950s New York…
Throughout the history of Japanese ukiyo-e, fabric has been a defining feature, allowing artists to convey movement, energy and character. In this episode of our series on ukiyo-e art we will take a closer look at fabric in the second key phase of the movement, known as the Torii School. Following on the incredible advancements…
Bold, brilliant fabric was a lifeline for French Intimiste painter Edouard Vuillard, defining the aesthetic and conceptual meaning of his art. Vuillard’s mother and sister were both dress and corset makers and he grew up surrounded by a cacophony of printed textiles, all scattered haphazardly across their 19th century Parisian apartment. This environment shaped the…
Anishka Clarke and Niya Bascom are the duo behind Ishka Designs, the Brooklyn-based interiors firm making waves around the world. With an impressive portfolio spanning New York, France, Jamaica and beyond, they have earned a reputation as pared back minimalists who take inspiration from the shapes, patterns and textures of nature, and a “waste-not”, ecological…
SEW THIS LOOK
Latest Posts
Search engine
Use this form to find things you need
LATEST COMMENTS
29 Dec 2024 @ 10:00 am by Marian Spadone
29 Dec 2024 @ 10:00 am by Rea Roberson
25 Dec 2024 @ 12:15 pm by Kelly Singh
25 Dec 2024 @ 12:15 pm by Pamela Boynton
04 Nov 2024 @ 8:21 am by Robert C. Rebello