Product design
An artist that works with paper to make delicate and intricate designs is Jum Nakao. The designer was born in Brazil on the 22nd of October 1966, and established his fashion business in 1997 where Jum designs a wide range of items such as clothes, shoes, furniture and works on film sets. He was also a guest designer for vans and help create a “shoes case”. They were designed to stay up to date with fashion trends as the “case” can be easily changed to different coloured and patterned paper 3D triangles. I like how Jun used flat paper to create a 3D design around a fashion item to bring another layer of dimension and texture to the piece.
Jum Nakao, November 2014, “shoes case” http://jumnakao.com.br/english/?portfolio=shoes-case
TDAF
Debbie Smyth is a contemporary textile artist who often uses pin and thread in her work, and established her company in 2009 where she takes on many clients. One of her pieces that caught my eye was “take flight”, a pin and tread crow with black thread on a white background where the silhouette of the crow is left white and the thread works from the outline outwards. In an interview for textileartists.org she says
“On first glance, it can look like a mass of threads but as you get closer sharp lines come into focus, creating a spectacular image. The images are first plotted out before being filled out with the thread, the sharp angles contrasting with the floating ends of the thread.”
Debbie Smyth, 2014, interview https://www.textileartist.org/debbie-smyth-inspired-memories-3/
Debbie Smyth, 2015, “take flight” https://www.artsper.com/gb/contemporary-artworks/drawing/263182/take-flight
Fashion design
Iris Van Herpen was born in 1984 in the Netherlands, her initial passion was dance, which she was dedicated to, but always had a love for art and design. She attained a degree in fashion and did an internship at Alexander McQueen, after this she proceeded to create her own company. Within her work there has always been some connection to natural elements such as water fire earth and air, which she represents in her choice of fabric, the way the fabric moves or the structure and placement of her designs. Herpen uses a wide variety of materials, for example light flowing fabric to help create a wavy effect or heavier material to create defined shapes and structures. Some of her designs may look alike however they are all unique in their own ways. I like how no two designs are the same and how they are creative and very expressive
“Those years of dance taught me so much about my body, the transformation of movement, the ‘evolution’ of shape, and how to manipulate both shape and movement. My interest in fashion were rooted in dance, in which I am now able to transform this kinaesthetic knowledge into new forms and materiality.”
Iris Van Herpen,https://www.irisvanherpen.com/about/the-maison
Iris Van Herpen, 2022, Meta Morphosis collection
Ceramics
A ceramic artist I like is Pippin Dryadale, she was born in 1943 in Melbourne, Australia. She manly works with porcelain to create pots and sculptures, sometime she makes a set with both items within the same colour scheme. Most pieces have more than one colour, bright colours that compliment each other with thin lines painted on which almost look like fingerprints on each of her works. Pippin said that
“As an artist, I have never wanted to be in the safe zone. Challenges, even when tinged with fear and trepidation, have facilitated and strengthened my artistic practice.”
Pippin Drysdale https://www.adriansassoon.com/artists/pippin-drysdale/
Kimberly series; Billabong Holes 1, 2019, Pippin Drysdale
Metal/jewellery
Gabrielle Desmarais was born in 1983 in Quebec, Canada where she graduated from the Montreal Jewellery School in 2010. She mainly focuses on contemporary jewellery, with using wood and other materials to make her jewellery such as fine twine for the necklace. Gabrielle uses wood blocks in random shaped then hand paints them with vibrant colours and patterns. I like the homemade feel behind her jewellery and with her work being worn by celebrities it shows how simple pieces of art can be appreciated by everyone.
Gabrielle Desmarais, https://www.simons.ca/imc/1840-journal/creators/gabrielle-desmarais/
