Layered Collaboration is an exploring editorial part of Layered.
MICHEL BUSSIEN
Just over a year after that Layered was founded we choose to offer a collection of velvet furniture in our own design. The new collection is presented as a collaboration with the artist Michel Bussien that has created an installation where the pieces of furniture constitute bearing elements in the artistic expression. Michel has previously been working on the borderline between interior design and art and he immediately accepted our request to interpret Layered's furniture collection.
- I get inspired by the material and shapes of nature. In this project I experimented with leather and silicone were the result became artificial plants that created that surrealistic feeling that I wanted to achieve, says Michel Bussien, artist, and creator.
During a longer period of time, Michel worked in his studio to create the installation. The project resulted in a creation containing a selection of furniture from the collection together with Michels organic creations. The collaboration between Layered and Michel was documented from the idea until the finished result by the fashion photographer Tobias Lundkvist.
CECILIA ÖMALM
The artist Cecilia Ömalm has for a long time been a favorite at Layered with her inspiration from architecture. Cecilia has been a well-known artist on Stockholms art scene during the last decennium with many celebrated exhibitions in her name. In addition to that Cecilia has received many great scholarships; among them the prestigious studio grant that is presented by Stockholm City.
On a dinner hosted by Absolut Art, she met the founder of Layered and designer Malin Glemme where they immediately were expressing admire for each other work, that in turn was leading up to this collaboration. We met during a lunch to talk about her latest work, how she works and where she finds inspiration.
You have been working with many different techniques, where do you find your inspiration?
- I get inspired a lot by old architecture; everything from structure to details. It's always my starting point. I have been working with everything from after-life doors to blueprints of great temples that I have laid out in stone to this collages that I made a lot of lately.
How does your creative process look like?
- Coffee! Loads of coffee! It usually starts when I find something that captivates me. I am very initiative when it comes to my work. And when I'm finally starting I usually work very hard and very fast. But when I'm finished I'm completely done. The biggest project that I've made was last spring and I worked with that constantly for two months. I even slept on the couch and my kids were telling me that I must go to bed. When I start I never know how the finished result is going to be. I add, change and add again until it feels good; as if I'm in the room myself.
The art was exhibited on the restaurant Carousel in Stockholm that suits very well with the previous untraditional places you've been using. How do you think the surroundings affect the experience of your art?
- A lot, I think! It's always better when the purpose is not just to look at art. It takes away the prestigious and is more spontaneous. Its just like when you run into someone and immediately start liking the person.
