EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

This week we are in conversation with Arthur Vallin, a French native multi-disciplinary Creative Director who is based in New York. Vallin holds a Master’s degree in Art Direction from the renowned design academy, Penninghen. His work as he describes it is “always in search of a new balance between shapes and spaces, innovative manufacturing processes, and visual impact”. He has recently launched his debut collection sharing with us his journey and methodologies in the realms of furniture design.

Can you tell us how your journey began as a furniture designer?

AV: It’s a little bit of what I guess you would call a happy accident. I was formally trained as a visual artist at Penninghen in Paris but then I guess you could also say I was informally trained by living with two architects (my parents). As a result I think for me design has always had a spacial component — an element of volume. However, I didn’t really have a chance to fully implement that for years because of the type of commercial advertising work I was doing that focused much more on graphic and digital design. Then several years ago my company created/produced a play that toured the country with a massive 10,000 SF set that I designed. From there we moved much more into spacial and architectural design and I found myself creating lots of custom set pieces. But I wanted to create things that were more permanent, with different materials and that let me really play at the edges of art and functional design. When COVID-19 hit I had some time and space to think and all of these shapes and concepts for furniture just rushed to the forefront — and so I just jumped in and did it.

When you think of design, what does it mean to you?

AV: It can be very contradictory, sometimes it’s about function and ergonomic while sometimes it can be purely in research of a form or a material exploration. That’s what’s fascinating about designing knowing that we all start with the same constraints, kind of an invisible space to fill, and then need to find the perfect ratios, shapes, materials in order to create something that will resonate with an audience, be new while encapsulating enough codes to belong to in the field you design it for.

AV: How would you define your own design philosophy?

I really like to understand the manufacturing process and then wrap my head around what’s feasible within this technique and a specific material. This first collection was all about minerals (stones) 7 axis robotic sculpting and manmade finishes.

Can you tell us about your debut collection and where you got your inspiration from?

AV: The specific inspiration varies depending on the piece — but generally they are connected to different references: architectural, image, sculptural etc. For example, the Ipséité Coffee Table draws inspiration from places like the architecture of Carlos Scarpa and the distinct shapes of Miami 1950’s architecture. In the Chubby Stool we can see references to the work of the Columbian artist, Fernando Botero. Some other piece like the Serra Pelada bench are inspired by Michelangelo’s unfinished sculpture where shapes emerge from the stone.

What is your favourite material to work with?

AV: Right now I’m fascinated by stone and minerals. I am working on some project involving light and stone which is extremely interesting because the light gives a new dimension to the mineral. There are also so many tone styles with different properties, the possibilities feel endless.

Chubby Stool

You studied in Paris and are now currently living and working in New York. How has this shaped your career?

AV: I feel that all the French academic and aesthetic references that I grew up surrounded by still feed me on a daily basis. They are my cultural roots. However living in NYC for almost a decade definitely shaped me as well. There is such a particular sensibility to NYC and the way people, ideas and aesthetics intersect there. It’s also the place where I have really built my career and had the opportunity to shoot, build, design in places/spaces that I feel deeply connect me artistically to the city.

Who are some artists, designers and/or architects that you reference, who have informed your own design practice?

AV: Anish Kapoor for his shapes, scale and material use. Pierre Paulin, Michel Ducaroy, Ueli Berger, Philippe Malouin and so many others!

What is a studio must have for you?

AV: Good light.

As a designer, do you have a particular ritual or practice that you incorporate into your daily routine?

AV: I keep telling myself I’m going to stretch every day in the morning for 15 minutes. I feel like doing that literally opens me up but I’m terrible at remembering to actually do it consistently. I also spend a lot of time looking at what is being created in lots of different disciplines —sculpture, 3D animation, typography to help me to continually get exposure to new things. And then functionally I spend a lot of time sketching. When I started studying I was actually terrible at drawing and it took a long time to feel fluent in it — but now it’s essential to me and the main way I understand shapes, and rationalise the way I think my designs will occupy space.

What is the best advice you have been given?

AV: Recently — “just try”. It seems obvious and simple but it’s something my partner says to me when I’m feeling hesitant or indecisive. Usually the idea behind it is to just begin. Just start and then work it out as you go. Start designing, start sketching, start working the idea and then see what comes out instead of worrying about all the steps and getting to the end — just start with the first one and go.

Is there something that you like to collect in your own home?

AV: Kitchen implements. I love cooking and my kitchen is one of my favorite rooms in the house. I can’t stop purchasing accessories that enhance or make cooking more fun. It can range from an appliance to a lemon squeezer – You would be surprised how a simple well designed cheese grater can elevate your kitchen game.

What are you reading at the moment?

AV: A book about Gustave Eiffel retracing all the road bumps he encountered while trying to create his eponym tower. It’s fascinating to see how this project almost died 10 times before seeing the light of day.

Which holiday destination are you dreaming of?

AV: A small Caribbean Island called Bequia that’s part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. My partners grandparents are from there. I feel in love with it the first time I visited — it’s so simple and low key. I think this is going to be our first trip since COVID started hopefully early next year.

Can you share with us your favorite place in New York for:

Art?

AV: Paul Kasmin and Emmanuel Perrotin for Galleries, The Park Avenue Armory and St. Ann’s Warehouse for performances.

To Visit?

AV: Harlem. I lived in Harlem for many years and it’s my favorite neighborhood in the city. The architecture is incredible and it feels different to me than anywhere else.

To Dine?

AV: Yakitori Totto and J.G Melon on a cold/snowy winter night if you are lucky enough to beat the wait. Hudson Clearwater on a warm spring night when you can finally sit outside.

Best Kept Secret?

AV: The Bronx. It’s incredible and not enough people go/visit. They have of course things like the Bronx Art Museum and Little Italy on Arthur Ave, but I love a lot of what’s happening down by Mott Haven at places like the Bronx Brewery and Empanology.

Photography & Images | Lopatin Roman (@_lopatin.r)