For the collector's family home in Amman, Jordan, they wanted to commission a trio of artworks that felt fresh yet coherent with their existing collection.
The triptych was specially created for the main living area, offering a playful edge and a pop of colour. The sleek, neutral interior design scheme was intentionally pared back, and so the collector wanted art that would stand out and catch immediately catch the eye.
The collector was particularly interested in Pop Art, being attracted to the vibrant use of colour and a graphic quality, but seeking an artist whose style was more minimal in tune with contemporary aesthetics. After conducting bespoke market research and presenting a select portfolio of artists to the client, the collector chose a young British artist duo who works with textile installations.
The triptych would explore three complementary colour ways, creating a sense of depth through tonal variety and subtle patterns. The patterns comes to life through ingenious use of colour spectrums, and the precise hue of each individual ball was determined through sketches and designs.
The complex geometry, resembling an unfurling flower or a radiating spiral, was inspired by traditional Arabic geometric designs. This element helps connect to the context of the project, bringing a local angle.
Working with dyed felt also enabled the artwork to be sustainable, which was important to the collector. Layers of fibres were combined through water, heat and friction, to create the perfectly spherical forms. Due to felt's fibrous quality, colours are particularly vivid from a distance. When viewing the artwork close-up, it has a beautifully textured quality.
The balls of felt are suspended on metal pins, which are fixed to a backing board. This gives the artwork a three-dimensional quality, which adds great visual interest as the viewer moves around the piece. The natural light afforded by nearby floor-to-ceiling windows also adds shadows, which make the artwork contrast even more against the wall.
The installation was a collaborative process between our curators, the artists and the collector, which is a process uniquely afforded by commissioning art. Many of the private collectors that Artelier work with enjoy the personal touch of bespoke commissions, which are a truly special addition to a diverse art collection.