Our homes are more than just physical structures; they are living reflections of who we are, our dreams, values, and personalities. Art, in this context, becomes a powerful tool for self-expression, infusing spaces with life, meaning, and emotion. It is no wonder that it plays a pivotal role in transforming a house into a truly extraordinary space.
For us, this connection between art and home design has always been essential, which is why we were thrilled to transform our Mayfair studio into a canvas for contemporary art this October. In honour of Frieze 2024, the V-ZUG X Nicholas Anthony Art Exhibition, Remembrance of Things Future, celebrated the intersection between art and design in profound ways.
Masters of creativity
Our exclusive event brought together the creative brilliance of V-ZUG, the renowned Swiss brand, acclaimed gallerist Sarah Kravitz, and New York-based interior design studio Olivia Stutz. This collaborative exhibition featured captivating works by artists such as Michel Francois, Nick Modrzewski, Levi De Jong, Xanthe Burdett, Lisa Liljeström, Bella Hunt & DDC, Anna Ruth, Polina Ospiva, Holly Mills, Wincenty Czwartos, Karolina Żądło, Noemi Conan, and the ever-enigmatic ‘Chelsea Potter’. Against the elegant backdrop of Wigmore Street, the evening was an immersive feast for the senses, accompanied by champagne, canapés, and a curated experience of art and design.
Sarah Kravitz, who began her journey in Warsaw in 2015 before establishing her gallery in London’s vibrant Soho Square, has become a champion of artists across generations, from rising talents to mid-career creators. Her vision is the perfect counterpart to Olivia Stutz’s interior design expertise, with her New York studio known for crafting luxurious environments that push creative boundaries.
Together, these masters of artistry and design curated an exhibition that is as poetic as it is evocative. Each piece invited viewers on a journey through the liminal spaces of memory and imagination, exploring the subtle interplay between art and the spaces we inhabit. The ethereal collection of paintings and sculptures, housed in the Nicholas Anthony studio alongside the precision engineering of V-ZUG’s Wigmore Street showroom, transcended the boundaries of time, weaving together archetypes of the past with visions of the future to create a tapestry that felt at once familiar and startlingly new.
Marcel Proust wrote: “the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” In this spirit, the exhibition challenged us to see beyond the material world, exploring narratives that dance across dimensions. Each piece was a portal, beckoning the viewer to step through and explore the fluid nature of existence. Like whispers from another plane, each work spoke to the interconnectedness of all things, blurring the lines between memory and premonition, between matter and spirit to help us remember ourselves, at once familiar and utterly new.
This exhibition was not just about aesthetics, it was about inspiration, reflection, and the powerful connection between art, space, and the human experience. It was an evening filled with thought provoking moments, reminding us of the forces that shape our environments and, ultimately, ourselves.
Artists at work
The artists selected to feature in the exhibition introduced a series of works that were both inspirational and thought provoking, from LA creators to London ceramicists, they sat alongside one another in a harmonious and carefully considered display.
Pottery by ‘The Chelsea Potter’
Jago Poynter, better known as ‘The Chelsea Potter’, is a trained potter with a degree in ceramics from Cardiff School of Art and Design. He is known for his contemporary ceramics bringing sculptural form to home objects, making them the unassuming protagonist in any room, and enhancing everyday experiences with their presence.
Ceramics by Michel François
Hailing from Cornwall, Michel François is known for his hand-thrown porcelain pots and unique statement pieces, including tea bowls and tea ware, all naturally glazed with tree ash for a distinct finish. Using ancient techniques, his interest is in creating timeless, functional pieces that display a purity of form that’s soothing and pleasing to the eye
Artworks by Nick Modrzewski
LA based artist Nick Modrzewski’s work spans painting, mask-making and text, exploring how the human body is affected by abstract systems like law, language and social etiquette. His paintings have a kinetic energy to them, reminiscent of a sense of movement, metamorphosis, and connectivity resulting in contemplative artworks that add intrigue to the space they occupy.
Sculpture by Levi De Jong
American sculptor Levi De Jong graduated from London’s Royal College of Art, and has since developed his practice through the deeply rooted influences of Florentine tradition. Time spent in Italy is evident in his works, which are expressive and classic whilst still being unequivocally modern.
Airbrushed paintings by Lisa Liljeström
Lisa Liljeström is known for her airbrushed, and intrinsically restless paintings, having studied in Sweden and now living and working in Norway. There’s a vibrancy and energy to her work that’s palpable, adding a fascinating dimension to the exhibition.
Fresco form by Bella Hunt & DDC
The Italian-American duo who live in Marseilles, Bella Hunt & DDC (Dante di Calce), are known for their simple, almost naive sculptures. Formed of a combination of materials including bronze and lime plaster, and influenced by the historic fresco tradition, there’s an organic feel to each piece that almost begs to be touched.
Multidisciplinary artwork by Anna Ruth
Czech artist, Anna Ruth, is known for her multidisciplinary artworks spanning painting, sound and sculpture. There’s an almost mythical quality to her paintings, which draw you into otherworldly contemplation and imagination.
Multimedia by Polina Ospiva
Chuvash artist, Polina Ospiva, works with a wide range of media from sculpture to textiles, often creating surreal pieces, some of which are wearable, and depicting them in the form of video and photography. There’s a clear sense of commentary in her works, sometimes including ironic objects and contrasting materials such as machinery and lace, creating a disruptive commentary on visual socio-cultural narratives.
Image-making by Holly Mills
Working in a variety of materials such as pencil, watercolour and egg tempera, Holly Mills is known for her abstract artworks. Having studied at Camberwell College of Arts, she won the V&A Student Illustrator of the Year award in 2012, and there’s a clear illustrative quality that permeates her work today .
Painting by Wincenty Czwartos
Polish painter, Wincenty Czwartos creates dramatic pieces in bold colours, that are almost theatrical in their execution. Heavily influenced by Polish culture, landscapes and, at times, religious history, they are detailed and make a lasting impression.
Transformations by Karolina Żądło
Polish artist, Karolina Żądło, creates artworks that focus on the female form, and that are stylistically reminiscent of Renaissance portraitists like Holbein. However, she takes these typically feminine paintings and transforms the women into powerhouses. Martyrs and saints become knights and warriors, made all the more complex by retaining their inherent femininity through the inclusion of stereotypically female apparel such as pearls, dresses and soft hues.
Narratives by Noemi Conan
Using painting and drawing to tell stories, Noemi Conan is a polish artist living in London, whose vibrant artworks depict the different facets of people, making everyday contexts visually extraordinary. Charged with social commentary and humour, much of her work is based on personal experiences, interwoven with slavic folklore with themes from communist and capitalist propaganda.
Paintings by Xanthe Burdett
Born in Devon and currently studying at the Royal College of Art, Xanthe Burdett, is early in her career and already attracting attention for her unique paintings, inspired by nature as well as ancient hunting tapestries. There’s a poetry to her work that is at once romantic and thought provoking, drawing connections between ideas and exploring the world of entangled narratives and conflicting ideals.
Nicholas Anthony, Design Director, Niko Rasides, says: “I have always felt that art is one of the most powerful things we can bring into a space; an entity in its own right that creates a language between both the artist and the homeowner. The diversity of works on display in this exhibition was truly exciting. Sarah Kravitz did a wonderful job of bringing different artists together, allowing their pieces to shine independently whilst also creating a visual narrative between them. Working with Olivia Stutz, it showed the interplay between art and the space it occupies with exquisite results. I would like to extend my thanks to our partners at V-ZUG – for their support in our work together, and for sharing the same vision and values as Nicholas Anthony, which was embodied in this exhibition.”