F5: Crystal Williams Is Far More Than RISD’s President

As Rhode Island School of Design’s (RISD) 18th president, Crystal Williams believes that education, art and design, and staying committed to equity and justice are essential to transforming our society. At RISD, the Detroit-born activist is working to drive meaningful change centered on expanding inclusion, equity, and access. To back that up, Crystal has more than two decades of higher education experience as a professor of English as well as serving in roles that oversaw diversity, equity, and inclusion at Boston University, Bates College, and Reed College. The ultimate goal behind Crystal’s role at RISD is to enhance the learning environment by making sure it includes diverse experiences, viewpoints, and talents.

However, Crystal’s talents go beyond the halls and classrooms of colleges and universities – she’s also an award-winning poet and essayist. So far, she’s published four collections of poems and is the recipient of several artistic fellowships, grants, and honors. Most recently Detroit as Barn, was named as a finalist for the National Poetry Series, Cleveland State Open Book Prize, and the Maine Book Award. Crystal’s third collection, Troubled Tongues, was awarded the 2009 Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Prize and was a finalist for the 2009 Oregon Book Award, the Idaho Poetry Prize, and the Crab Orchard Poetry Prize. Her first two books were Kin and Lunatic, published in 2000 and 2002. Crystal’s work regularly appears in leading journals and magazines nationwide.

Today, Crystal Williams is joining us for Friday Five!

1. Silence

Originally, I was going to write about a place that inspires me. But when I truly started to consider places I find inspiring, I realized that each of them elicits and enables silence and stillness, a refraction of silence (at least for me). So then, silence itself is the thing that inspires me. Silence inspires me to delve and investigate and allows me to situate myself in wonder and awe – in the amplitude and magnitude of who and what and how we are as a species, to sometimes take issue with personal fears or traumas or worse – the behaviors that ultimately impede personal and spiritual growth or insight.

For me, silence is a great gift. Perhaps the greatest. It is a balm. Through it, I connect to the world not as Crystal Williams of this particular body but as a congregation of embodied energy and spirit. In this way, it is the catalyst through which all good art, poetry, ideas, and leadership emerge. So it is among the most inspirational things in my life – and among the most rare, given my life.

2. Lucille Clifton Poem

I admire many poems. But Lucille Clifton’s “won’t you celebrate with me” (which is how it is commonly known although Clifton did not, in “Book of Light” originally title the poem), is the one that inspires me the most. It is a poem that speaks to resilience, fortitude, bravery, imagination, hope, and it names what being a Black woman in the United States can and often does elicit.

“won’t you celebrate with me
what I have shaped into
a kind of life? i had no model.
born in babylon
both nonwhite and woman
….
…come celebrate
with me that everyday
something has tried to kill me
and has failed.”

3. Nancy Wilson, “How Glad I Am,” Carnegie Hall, 1987

There are moments in art when an artist transforms one thing into another, utterly broadening, deepening, and transmuting the original meaning. In this live version of “How Glad I Am,” her encore performance at the 1987 “Live at Carnegie Hall” performance, Wilson – a vocalist I listened to obsessively as a younger person – transforms a simple song between lovers into a rousing tribute from an artist to her audience. This performance is the most profoundly loving example I have witnessed of an artist speaking directly and forcefully to the mutuality between artists and audiences. And it’s become a kind of personal soundtrack when I’m walking through my life, especially my life as a poet and now as president. Often, when I’m among creatives, I hear Wilson’s gorgeous, gravely voice imploring: “you don’t know how glad I am [for you].”

4. Young Creatives

Listen, these young people at RISD and young creatives everywhere are our best-case scenario. They are our visionaries, if only we can amplify them, listen to them, and then get out of their way. They have all the love (and strategy and insight and knowledge) we need if we can help them wield it successfully. They have all the intelligence and ingenuity we need to help solve our challenges and advance what is good, right, and just among our species. Added to those attributes are other facts: they are funny and curious and eager to learn and gloriously unusual.

I watch them here at RISD in their multi-colored outfits, hair-dos, and platform shoes, giggling with each other in front of the snack machine or intensely applying their best thinking to each others’ work during critiques. I listen to them grappling with big ideas, considering, reconsidering, and redesigning our world as if on slant, eschewing the boxes into which we have crammed stale ideas that continue to guide our actions. And I watch them in their magnitude – in the more quotidian actions of their lives trudging up and down the severe hill outside with their humongous portfolios and unwieldy art projects, and think through it all, “Wow” and think “to be so young and so powerful and necessary” and think “thank God” and think “Thank you, young people, for saying yes to the impulse that brought you here.” Not only do they inspire me, they humble me and they – each one of them – feel like a balm, like hope incarnate.

5. My Parents

My folks married in 1967 against all odds. They were of different ethnicities – he Black, she white. Different places – he from the Jim Crow South, she from Detroit, Michigan. Different eras – he born in 1907, she in 1936. Different careers – he a jazz musician and automotive foundry worker, she a public school teacher. And different educational backgrounds – he, we think, not a high school graduate, she a college graduate. And yet, they found each other over the keys of a piano and decided, against society’s cruel eye and hard palm, to love each other and to love me. I now understand the courage it took for all of that to be true, for them to make a way, for them to walk through the world in 1967 as a couple and with me as their child. That courage inspires me. Those decisions inspire me. They inspire me. Everyday. All day.

 

Work by Crystal Williams:

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F5: Interior Stylist Colin King on Favorites and Arranging Things

As a former dancer, interior stylist and product designer Colin King has an understanding of the power of stillness. It’s an awareness he brings to his practice since moving to the realm of interiors. By working with several design firms where he oversaw content creation and art direction, Colin became more and more curious about how to execute and capture visual storytelling through the arranging of objects. The experience led him to make an unspoken promise to the forgotten corners of the home, that he would transform them into something worthy of attention.

As a go-to stylist for many leading brands and publications, Colin is a regular contributor to Architectural Digest, T, Ark, and Rum magazines. He collaborates regularly with West Elm, Anthropologie, Zara Home, Crate & Barrel, and Roman and Williams Guild, and has his own product lines with Beni Rugs and MENU, with more in the works. Colin was recently named the Artistic Director-at-Large at Beni Rugs and continues to expand his practice to include product design, private client interiors, exhibition design, and creative direction, spreading his signature aesthetic across the industry.

This month Colin adds another title to the list: author. Arranging Things, published by Rizzoli, shares his intuitive, personal process of elevating spaces. It takes shape through a series of anecdotes and visual essays written with Architectural Digest’s Sam Cochran and a foreword by Robin Standefer of Roman and Williams. Organized by theme, Arranging Things offers insights into Colin’s approach to styling through showcasing his work for home brands and publications, installation design, and even his own home.

“Arranging Things is about looking at objects in an unexpected way, and encouraging others to view them beyond their everyday use,” Colin shared. “Whether a bowl, a single candle, a branch from your yard, I want readers to elevate these simple objects to create sophisticated vignettes that bring joy into their home.”

This week, Colin King joins us for Friday Five!

1. Florals + the Flower Market

Having elements of nature around me in my home is extremely important. Whether I am styling a shoot or just sourcing fresh flowers and branches for my own home, I always return to the flower market on 28th Street. My favorite spot is 28th Street Wholesale Flowers – Persaud and his team take great care of me there and they always have the best selection.

There is a large branch in my living room which usually stands 8-10ft tall. I enlisted my good friend Alex Crowder, founder of Field Studies Flora, and her foraging team to help me source unique branches of this scale. I decided to go with a branch instead of a tree so I could change it out every couple of months and watch the decay which provides me with so much inspiration. Florals and nature add texture, color, softness, life, and inspiration to every space.

2. Print

I am a lover of all things print. Whether it’s overspending at Casa Magazines, combing through the shelves at the Strand, writing notes on stationery, or reading the newest selection from my book club, there is nothing I love more than holding something tactile and tangible. I am always picking up the latest issues of AD, Arc Journal, World of Interiors, and Apartmento. I love to look at design and styling through the eyes of others, I learn so much that way. Whenever I travel, I am always on the hunt for out-of-print books or obscure finds with interesting covers for my own personal collection and to style with. A book is always a favorite prop. I have this beautiful stationery that I love using to send thank yous and spontaneous notes to clients and acquaintances. And right now I am deep in The Power Broker, the most recent select for my book club. There is just nothing like print.

3. Exercise + Dance

I danced almost every day from the age of eight. Moving my body helps me connect to myself and get in the present moment – I have so much gratitude for my facility and a healthy body. Five days a week I go to Barry’s Bootcamp classes and once a week I attend my friend Marisa Competello’s Moves dance class. It’s there where I find a sense of freedom and belonging. It’s all ages and all levels and it’s just pure joy. I have no attachment to the outcome and just really try to let go and lose myself in the music and movement.

4. Seeing Art in Person

I am a member at almost every museum in the city, from the Met to the Noguchi, the MoMA to the New Museum. I am also a member at the Joyce Theatre, which is a dance performance venue in Chelsea. I think it’s really important as a creative person to see what other artists are making across all mediums. Some recent standouts: Lea Michele in Funny Girl, my good friend Eva Alt’s choreography at the ABT Incubator performance, and the Lucio Fontana Sculpture show at Hauser and Wirth. I love doing studio visits with friends like ceramist Natalie Weinberger and Danny Kaplan to see their process and shop their newest creations straight from the kiln for shoots. I’ve even sat for artist Jack Ceglic as he drew my portrait in his East Hampton studio. I try to find the balance of looking at both dead and contemporary artists.

5. Being an Uncle + Godfather

Becoming an uncle (twice), and recently being asked to be Godfather for a friend’s son, has brought me more joy than I could have ever imagined and taught me a new kind of love.

 

Work by Colin King:

F5: Michael Hambouz Feeds Creativity With Creativity

Multidisciplinary artist, multi-instrumentalist musician, illustrator, and independent curator are a few of the biggest hats Brooklyn, NewYork-based Michael Hambouz wears. The first-generation Palestinian-American creates chromaesthesia-influenced works – experiments in dimension and color, created under the guidance of music – to process bouts of loss and self-reflections on cultural identity.

“The moment I paid off my student loans and was able to put away enough savings to keep me afloat for 6 months, I quit my last paid salary position…throwing caution and good healthcare coverage to the wind,” Michael says of the moment art went from hobby to career for him. “At the very end of my 6-month mark, I was commissioned to paint the titling sequences for Oliver Stone’s “Untold History of the United States” ad campaign for Showtime – this gig provided me with enough income to extend my time in the studio for another year, cover the expenses for my first solo show, and the campaign was ultimately awarded a 2013 Silver Promax BDA Award, helping to launch my illustration side business. It has been 12 years now that I have been working full-time in my studio (I superstitiously knock on wood every time I state this).”

Experimenting freely with mediums, Michael encourages unexpected results and mutations to bloom in the studio, resulting in conceptually abstracted paintings and prints, intricate paper cutouts, 3-dimensional sculptural works, drawings, and animations.

It clicked for Michael around the age of 7 that art could be something bigger for him. “At age 7, my 2nd grade classmates and I were each assigned to create an art piece inspired by our favorite fairytale. While most students delivered heavy-on-the-parent-assistance shoebox dioramas, I spent two hours after school every day for two weeks in the classroom working on a 9-foot-tall portrait of the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk. I was shy and not quite keen to the concept of showing off at that age, which made the feat feel very pure in motivation. To me, the grand scale was essential. Anything smaller would have simply been inaccurate,” he shared. “It was also during this time that my parents were going through a very turbulent and nasty separation. In retrospect, it was absolutely this moment that I realized art could provide me with positive escapism, independence, confidence, and the tools to process life’s most difficult challenges – there was no other path for me.”

Today, we’re happy to have Michael Hambouz join us for Friday Five!

1. Eva Zeisel

Hungarian-born American industrial designer Eva Zeisel made works of pure beauty – colorful, elegant, playful, tactile, and accessible. She was astoundingly prolific and her work always so very distinctly “Eva.” It was an honor for me to plan her 100th birthday party many years ago and get to know her a little better – sharp sense of humor, kind, and so thoughtfully well-spoken. She promptly arrived at 6pm and was the last to leave her party around 11pm. She continued actively making work until she passed away just a few years later at the remarkable age of 105. Though our practices and mediums of choice differ, I find it hard to think of another artist that is more inspiring to me than Eva. I highly recommend reading Eva Zeisel: A Soviet Prison Memoir.

2. Live Music

As a spectator or as a participant, live music has always been a very important part of my life. When I first started visiting New York City in the late 90s, I would pour over the show listings in the Village Voice in a similar fashion to looking at the Sears’ Christmas toy catalog as a little kid. I didn’t quite realize just how much I missed seeing shows during the pandemic until I finally masked up and hit the streets after a two-year hiatus. I promised myself that if the following bands came to town, I would make the effort: Bristol UK’s Beak>, Montreal’s Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and New York state’s own Taraka. I was fortunate to see all three in the last year – absolutely transcendent. As a musician, I’ve found that the ultimate show makes me 50% entranced and 50% inspired to leave immediately to go play music as loud as I can in my rehearsal space. These three shows did that to me (I stayed until the end for all of them, so I suppose 51% to 49%?).

3. Studio/Gallery Visits

I am a very social, community-oriented soul by nature. Though I can easily spend weeks on end focused on my own work in the studio, often forgetting when to blink or eat lunch. I’ve found that I really thrive most when I take time to engage with fellow creatives, talking through our current projects, and more often than not, talking about everything under the sun except art. I make sure I take at least two days off each month to studio visit with other artists, and a least two days each month to visit friends’ and friends-of-friends’ gallery shows throughout the city. Sharing a few recent studio visit highlights – I’m especially drawn to visiting artists that work with materials and processes foreign to my personal practice.

4. Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman gave a talk at my alma mater Antioch College in the mid-90s shortly after the launch of the show, leaving an indelible impression on me. I’ve been an avid follower since, tuning in daily, and have even volunteered in their development office over the years during fund-drives. I firmly believe that we all have an obligation to know and care about what’s going on in the world around us, and have access to unbiased, uncensored free press to keep us informed. As a longtime human rights and social justice advocate, there are few other sources I trust more than Democracy Now!

5. Travel

Traveling wasn’t in the cards for me growing up. We didn’t have the money, and my mother rarely had time off from working multiple jobs to even leave if we had had the resources. I never resented this, but I have made it a point in my post-adolescent years to make up for lost time by traveling whenever I possibly can. International travel is most desired, but there is still so much to see in the U.S. (I still have yet to visit the Grand Canyon!), and even an afternoon bike ride over the Brooklyn Bridge can be a thrilling adventure. My last big trip was to the mountains of Portugal to visit my sister after a long gap since our last time together. We hiked, cooked, caught up on SNL, chopped wood, and picked olives – it was beautiful – all of it!

 

Work by Michael Hambouz:

F5: Anna Karp Shares 5 Things To Know Before Renovating

Anna Karp is CEO and co-founder of Bolster, a New York City-based firm offering in-house design, architecture, and build services. As a licensed General Contractor, she oversees the design and construction of all projects, and has completed 100+ renovations throughout New York City and in Mexico, where she’s originally from.

Anna is a trailblazer carving her own path in the traditionally male-dominated general contracting and home renovation sector. Under her leadership, Bolster has been called a “significant innovation for the renovation industry,” and uses proprietary technology and a data-driven approach to deliver beautiful, risk-free gut renovations. The team has renovated more than 50,000 square feet in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, while navigating compliance, landmarks, and the DOB to ensure projects are delivered to in-house quality standards. Bolster’s umbrella of services includes Design-Build, Build-Only, and the efficiency-conscious Agile x Bolster offering.

To ensure control quality, Anna has created a vertically integrated team of project managers, builders, carpenters, painters, and executives. As both a minority and female CEO, she has always prioritized creating a diverse and inclusive culture at Bolster, providing opportunities for females and minorities who are often overlooked in the construction industry.

Anna is also an active member in female-forward organizations, including Chief. She has served as a guest speaker and panelist at industry events and webinars where she advocates for women and gender balance in the construction industry. Additionally, Anna co-founded Chefs on a Plane, an invite-only network of New York’s Top Chefs & Mixologists who travel to Puebla for a seasonal, behind-the-scenes experience of Mexico’s culinary culture. She is also one of the hosts of “Hidden Gems”, a show for Architectural Digest.

Today, Anna Karp is joining us for Friday Five and sharing five things people should know before beginning a renovation.

1. Renovating is fun – if you’re not faint of heart

Interior design awareness and the ‘renovation bug’ have had a boost during recent years and post-pandemic. Certain generations are spending more and more time ogling beautiful interiors and dreaming of ways to make their homes nicer, better, bigger, and more attractive for resale.

Renovators can be divided into two categories: those who buy to renovate, and those who already live in a property to be renovated. The latter have an advantage because they can comfortably plan their renovation and take months doing so, while the former are always against the clock. Renovating is a big commitment. If you are a homeowner who is buying with the intention to renovate, and you have the option to choose a property in mint condition and the inclination to do so, listen to your gut!

It’s an enormous undertaking, no matter how good your team is. It takes time, financial investment, and can be an emotional rollercoaster. On the other hand, if you absolutely want your vision to come true, then a renovation is in place. Brace yourself: it will be fun, however, remember that it’s a marathon – not a sprint, and start training your design and decision-making muscles!

2. Organize your renovation with care + diligence

If you’re anything like me, you probably like having your personal affairs organized and in tip-top shape – and a renovation is no different. Use the same diligence in choosing your design and build a team as you would select your personal accountant. You’ll want to check references and look for specificity in both project management and the quality of results. Having great design and a great architectural team should be a baseline – not the goal. Your mission is to fully understand that your team will be capable and available to solve any curveballs along the way.

During the pandemic, I chose to uphold Bolster’s Fixed Price guarantee for our pandemic-era projects. This was a very tough financial decision, however, we stood by our values in a time of major uncertainty. When vetting a design-build firm, you are not only vetting for technical knowledge, aesthetics, or what your neighbors’ or other reference’s achieved – you are testing to understand if the team leading your project is also logical and whether they understand the full meaning of accountability.

3. Once you ‘break ground,’ you’ve tied the knot with your design-build team

If you chose a design team and things are not going the way you planned, don’t despair. The good news is that you’re still dating. While swiping left may result in some sunk cost for your family, it’s essential to understand that you’re still in the pen to paper phase. No matter how much has been invested in the design and architectural phase, homeowners are not really in hook, line, and sinker until a permit is pulled and the general contractor ‘breaks ground.’

Once this has happened, you are married to your team, and the best way forward is always, undoubtedly ‘forward.’ So, if your gut says ‘no,’ it’s okay to pivot and find a new design team. Bottom line: it’s your home. Even if you feel out of depth in technical construction and design matters, you are still the client and the arrangement needs to feel right every step of the way. Granted, mistakes happen and challenging situations will arise, but always stay alert to see how matters are resolved. If you’re a priority, then chances are you’re in good hands.

4. The project is for you – so plan for your lifestyle

My team is often asked if things like adding a bathroom, having an open floor plan, having an island, or removing a tub – just to name a few – are good for resale value. While these are all fair questions when undertaking a renovation, I always urge homeowners to design for themselves and plan for their own lifestyle. Once the property is sold, chances are the new homeowners will want their own style and will plan for their own needs – they may be empty nesters or they may have eight children. It’s impossible to plan for the unknown. However, if an aspect of your renovation is consuming you, the best point-of-contact for this question would be a local broker.

5. Be bold with design + be practical with choices

Great design can be achieved with very little or with a lot of aplomb. I urge homeowners to ask their design team to give them their wildest ideas. This can range from understanding what the most expensive free-standing claw foot tub is on the market to providing an outlandish design for the layout of the home. While you may not end up choosing the wildest options, the creative juices of the team will start flowing, and chances are you may learn something new.

That being said, great design can also be affordable and should be practical. So while you may be dying to have your marble’s veins meet each other at a junction in your waterfall island, you may not want to buy an entire lot – just a couple of slabs that contrast or match each other. While the tub of your dreams may be amazing, you don’t want to have to reinforce your floors because it’s terribly heavy. Finally, my favorite. While the tile industry has changed and evolved a lot in recent years, be sure that the tiles you choose are proven to be fit for purpose, and make sure you understand the alternatives. Great looks can be achieved with large format slabs, while some trendy cement tiles with geometric designs stain easily and are hard to maintain.

 

Work by Bolster:

Photography by Duplex Imaging, courtesy of Bolster.

F5: Jordan + Steven Neman Share a Favorite Ceramicist, Galleries + More

This week we’ve made a rare exception, rather than a single individual we’re talking to twin brothers Jordan and Steven Neman of House of Léon. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, the two realized that the interior design market was missing creatively designed pieces available at an affordable price point. From there, furniture and home decor company House of Léon was born in 2022.

Since opening the doors a year ago, Jordan and Steven have launched two full collections with a third on the way this spring. With a focus on regions, cultures, and concepts, the brand believes every piece of a collection needs to work with one another to allow for mixing and matching.

But House of Léon is more than furniture. The brand also releases sculptural decor pieces based on the ceramic work of Jordan. When furniture and decor pieces come together with affordability, clients can uniquely express themselves within a living space in a delightful way.

Today, Jordan and Steven Neman are joining us for Friday Five!

1. Tyler Hayes + BDDW

One of our favorite furniture designers is Tyler Hayes and his team at BDDW. It’s fascinating to see the creations that a multidisciplinary artist like himself is able to make. His use of mixed media and materials across pieces show a level of craftsmanship that we think is quite incredible.

2. Eric Roinestad

Jordan’s favorite ceramicist has always been Eric Roinestad, and his work inspired Jordan to get into ceramics himself. Roinestad’s sculptural pieces, made using a clay he makes himself, show a level of refinement you don’t see quite often in ceramics.

3. Love House

Our favorite gallery for furniture is Love House in NYC. Jared and Aric do an amazing job of sourcing incredible designers. A piece from their collection that we think is worth highlighting is the Steel + Stone Lounge Chair by Batten & Kamp. It’s a true show-stopper.

4. Tappan Collective

For art, we have always loved The Tappan Collective. The furniture selected for a space can only take you so far – it’s the art that sets the stage for those pieces to shine and create the perfect setting.

5. Azotea Gallery

Outside of the US, in Mexico City, the gallery Azotea does such a great job of restoring vintage pieces and creating new designs of their own.

 

Work by House of Leon:

F5: Paper Artist Zoe Bradley Shares a Go-To Pen, Favorite Liqueur + More

“I aim to create a truly unique hand-crafted product from paper that celebrates the beautiful, unique architectural forms of nature,” said Wales-based paper artist Zoe Bradley. Working across disciplines, her work brings together sculpture, fashion, and theater, with her skills as a former fashion designer being evident in the almost tailored sculptures. “I work with paper just as a designer works with fabric, folding, curling, scoring, and stitching. My challenge is always to create something unexpected and playful from a 2D sheet of paper into a magical 3D sculpture.”

Zoe draws inspiration from the nature that surrounds her rural home, as well as couture, art, theater, and architecture. “I always take pictures wherever I am. Staying curious and observing the world around me influences my approach on pushing the boundaries of paper. My work is consistently about making the extraordinary from the ordinary,” she shared.

Her paper sculptures are usually commissioned works of oversized silhouettes, though she also likes the challenge of creating on a smaller, more demanding scale. Zoe’s love of skill working with paper first emerged while making showpieces for designer Michiko Koshino’s A/W 2005 show. Afterwards, the well-known London store Liberty commissioned her to create a collection of paper showpieces for their Christmas windows. Since then, Zoe’s been creating sculptures using paper sourced from around the world.

Currently, her clients include brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, Estee Lauder, Tiffany & co., Graff, and Christian Louboutin. Zoe’s work has been featured in many magazines, included in several books on paper art, and exhibited in London, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, New York, Rio de Janeiro, and Sydney.

Today, Zoe Bradley joins us for Friday Five!

1. National Museum of Qatar

I was fortunate to visit the museum back in 2019 while I was working in the country. It’s a gravity-defying piece of architecture that rises from the dusty sandy desert, and it took my breath away. The building’s dramatic shape is inspired by the desert rose – a mineral formation created when minerals crystallize below the surface of a salt basin into an array of flat plates resembling rose petals. My dream would be to exhibit a retrospective of my paper sculptures within this magnificent building.

2. Issey Miyake by Irving Penn

I’ve never followed convention. As a fashion and art student, I was always inspired by artists and designers who viewed life through a less conventional lens. Issey Miyake’s work was revolutionary to me. The way he saw clothes as a form of art on the body led me on my own journey of creating clothing from paper, a form of wearable art. Cutting, sewing, and
pleating the paper into a dress was influenced by his work. It was his decade long collaboration with American photographer Irving Penn that captured some of the most exciting silhouettes of his work. This book never tires to inspire.

3. Sakura Brush Pen

My Sakura Brush brush pen is always in my bag! It allows me to capture my line of movement when I start to create a sculpture, the silhouette starts with my brush pen strokes. It feels so good in the hand to create with, a hybrid of a traditional pen with the softer expressive line of a paint brush. I love to use them for my floral illustration work as they can be so expressive.

4. My Cutting Garden

I’ve had an affinity with flowers since childhood, and my love has grown even more since I started my own cutting garden over two years ago. Growing flowers gives me a sense of escapism, and to grow and nurture a flower from seed still captivates me. I love to walk barefoot in the grass, looking for varieties to draw and dissect for my paper sculptures. Tulips and Dahlias are probably my favorites, as their form is so dramatic and voluminous.

5. St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur

Over the summer I discovered the wonderful taste of St-Germain’s Elderflower liqueur. I’ve come to appreciate how versatile it is with my at-home cocktail making. I love to host family and friends, so I’ve been adding this delicious liquor to my cocktails or adding a dash to a simple glass of champagne. It’s been my go-to liqueur for its usability. With up to 1,000 handpicked elderflowers blossoms in every bottle, it’s a perfect staple for my at-home bar cart.

 

Work by Zoe Bradley:

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F5: James Burke on Meditation, Dutch Creativity + Drumming

James Burke is a busy man, an international artist and Chief Creative Officer of Acrylicize, the art and design studio he founded out of art school. It’s perhaps best described as being a “living, breathing sculpture” and a business. The studio, based in both London and New York, sits at the intersection of art, design, and brand. Acrylicize uses the power of art to express the essence of identity within the built environment. The studio designs pieces in-house, works with a global network of artists and designers, and counts firms such as Coca-Cola, Spotify, Netflix, and Wimbledon Tennis club among their client base. Acrylicize’s work can also be found in public spaces around the world as they fulfill the aim of bringing art outside of the gallery space.

For his personal work, James is represented by galleries in London, Miami, and Montreal, and also exhibits around the world. He’s married with three children, plays drums, and is a dedicated meditator.

This week, James Burke is joining us for Friday Five!

1. Meditation

I started my meditation practice over two years ago, just before the pandemic, and it has had a profound effect on my work and life. I meditate for an hour a day (in 2 x 30-minute chunks). In addition to giving me more energy and mental space throughout the day, it also allows me to tap into my inherent instinct and intuition on a much deeper level, which has been invaluable as I navigate the craziness of the world. In our culture, I think we have a view that if we aren’t constantly striving to succeed at all times we are somehow failing. Meditation counters this by giving you permission to just ‘be.’ No pressure, no stress, nothing to do, nowhere to go, no winning or losing. It’s incredibly liberating.

2. Dutch Creativity

The Dutch have always been so good at blurring the boundaries between art and design. They have an incredible sensibility for craft, modernity, blending the contemporary with the historic, and connecting all via a playful thread that seems to be ingrained in their practice. Particular favorites of mine are Maarten Baas and Helmut Smits. You might know Maarten Baas from his timepiece, which hangs in Schipol Airport as part of his ‘Real Time’ series, which is part performance, part digital artwork, and part product design. Helmut Smits is an artist who makes numerous observations and provocations which poke fun at the rules and conventions of life through intelligent wit and masterful execution.

3. The South Downs

Having recently moved from my birthplace of London down to East Sussex, I’ve been completely captivated by the South Downs – a 250-square-mile national park of rolling countryside near the south coast of England. To be connected with the outdoors in such a picturesque and dramatic way has been amazing for the whole family, especially the kids who love the space and the intrinsic sense of adventure that nature provides. I’m really looking forward to watching how the seasons affect the landscape, taking the dog for long walks, and getting some respite from the intensity of my London working life.

4. Drums

I owe my entire creative career to the drums. I learned to play when I was just six years old and was totally captivated by that first feeling of creative expression. I think I’ve been trying to chase that feeling of flow ever since. Any drummer will know that you can’t really switch off from hearing beats in your head, and this usually manifests itself by tapping into something around you. I move around the world, constantly exploring the sounds inanimate objects make. For instance, I was recently told by staff at Acrylicize that they always know when I’m coming up the stairs as the footsteps are usually accompanied by the tapping of hands on something as I approach.

5. Patagonia

From a cultural perspective, I have always been hugely inspired by the brand Patagonia. The essence of the company is based on a genuine passion for what they do mixed with a sense of social responsibility and tangible action. It’s a culture built around understanding what inspires you and leaning into that for the good of all. I think it leads to the idea of flow, which is a subject I find fascinating, and as a window into peak human experiences. As a business, they play by their own rules, put people first, and use their platform to make a difference in the world. The recent announcement to give away 98% of the profits to fight the climate crisis is yet another example of this.

 

 

Work by James Burke + Acrylicize:

F5: Melanie Courbet Shares the Spark Behind Her Gallery + More

Influenced by her French and Tunisian upbringing, travels and collaborations, Melanie Courbet founded Les Ateliers Courbet in 2013. The Founder of the gallery, located in the Chelsea neighborhood, chose to focus on a master-craftsman ethos and the sharing of art that embodies artisanal dexterity and cultural heritage. Les Ateliers Courbet comes with international recognition for its dedication to craftsmanship legacies and techniques that have stood the test of time. Today, the gallery represents a permanent roster of more than 30 ateliers whose works reside in the decorative arts and furniture. Melanie works with private collectors, interior designers, and public institutions to foster and share the work of these sometimes centuries-old manufacturers and international contemporary artisans.

Before making the jump and owning her own gallery space, Melanie worked in Los Angeles advising young collectors, managing design projects, and organizing exhibitions in New York and Paris. She also incubated the Love & Art for Children Foundation and managed design studio Dror’s international communications and business development. All of the pieces were there, she just had to put them together.

Melanie has had the opportunity to collaborate with some established names and brands, among them are LVMH, Cappellini, Christie’s, and Pritzker Prize Architect, Thom Mayne. Institutions include the Muséedes Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Ministry Of Culture in France.

This week, Melanie Courbet joins us for Friday Five!

1. Records

Sunday nights at home ordering in and playing records. This Miles Davis album has been my favorite since it was gifted to me 17 years ago by an old friend who is a music artist responsible for a great part of my music culture. My mother would play old records at home, too.

2. Shine on Sierra Leone

To different degrees since 2007, I have been involved with my friend’s organization Shine on Sierra Leone that’s located in the northeast village of Kono, Sierra Leone. The organization includes two schools, over 500 students, adult literacy, a health program, and long-standing micro-loan programs for women. We’ve been working with the local community and the teachers at our school to empower both children and parents to support their access to education, health, and small business opportunities.

I am particularly fond of a teenage student, Amadou. I’ve been personally supporting and following from his first years at Muddy Lotus, our elementary school, through to today as he enters college in Freetown. I would adamantly recommend the fulfilling experience of supporting one student’s education somewhere in the world, and being able to see how your minimal contribution impacts the life of another being.

3. Sunday Visits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Fall and winter weekend visits to the Met. I often skip the temporary shows and stroll through the antiques and old masters’ galleries. A breath of inspiration and meditative space.

4. Humanrace Sneakers Shopped Online

My new Humanrace sneakers by Pharrell and Adidas. I’m slightly addicted to spending time shopping on the online auction platforms, with the latest being Pharrell’s Joopiter auction.

5. Helicopter Piloting

I find flying and piloting helicopters to be another meditative space and breath of inspiration.

 

Work Shown at Les Ateliers Courbet:

F5: Maggie Holladay Turned Claude Home From IG Into Reality

After first trying out a career in fashion, Claude Home founder Maggie Holladay changed lanes and immersed herself in design work. San Diego-born and now New York City-based, in 2018 she opened the doors to the vintage furniture and decor purveyor with a role as contemporary furniture designer and curatorial host to emerging artists. Maggie likes to say that Claude Home was “born out of a passion for vintage furniture and a love of classic designs and form.”

But let’s backtrack for a minute, because the brand began as a visual collection of sourced home furnishings and decorative pieces on Instagram before evolving into a thriving business. We love a good success story!  Today, the site houses unique, exclusive pieces by new artists, as well as restored mid-century modern vintage furnishings by well-known designers. Claude Home prides itself on sourcing pieces by the likes of Pierre Paulin and Marcel Breuer for the shop. What Maggie brings to all of her clients is a close community that wants to fill their spaces with collectible design pieces that will be well-loved keepsakes for decades into the future.

Maggie’s contemporary, neutral aesthetics carry over into her own spaces as well. And today she joins us for Friday Five!

1. Sonos

Music is essential for me to get in the right creative headspace. In my free time, I enjoy making playlists for specific moods, tasks, or just for fun. My Sonos speaker fills the room with sound to help me with whatever I’m doing, whether it’s designing, creating, or just lounging around – I know I’m at peace when there’s a soundtrack playing in the background.

2. Alpaca Slippers

Alpaca fur has such a comforting feel and is really great for slippers. I found these alpaca fur slippers on Etsy and knew I had to get them. After a long day of work, it feels so good to kick my shoes off and put on these slippers to get super comfortable. Not to mention that they come in such lovely natural shades and look amazing too.

3. Jenni Kayne Blanket

Not only is this Jenni Kayne Alpaca Throw a chic blanket to elevate an accent chair or drape over a bed, but it’s ideal for getting cozy after a long day. It’s super soft and perfect for the colder months. I’m a huge fan of neutrals in decor and this throw fits seamlessly into my space while also acting as a transitional piece.

4. Byredo Tree House Candle

I’m a long-time fan of Byredo and adore the brand’s home fragrances. Scent is such an important sense in my living space, and I want it to reflect what I’m feeling at the moment. Currently, I’m in this cozy and calm vibe and I’ve been lighting the Tree House Candle every day. It’s a woodsy scent with cedar, bamboo, sandalwood, guaiac wood, and hay along with notes of spice, myrrh, and labdanum. These elements combined create a nostalgic scent that reminds me of home.

5. Tekla Bedding

This percale bedding set from Telka Fabrics is super soft and so chic. The blue stripes are a fun way to add color and design to my bedroom. I’ve always had white or neutral bedding shades, but decided to try this color out and I love it. It’s a great option to change up my typical neutral tones.

 

Work by Maggie Holladay + Claude Home:

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