Founded by the fourth generation of the Matisse family, Maison Matisse celebrates the French artist’s heritage through new design collaborations with contemporary creatives. At Fuorisalone 2022, the brand presents a series of new lighting pieces by Formafantasma through an installation at 5 Vie (Via Santa Marta 21).
Henri Matisse began working on paper cut-outs in 1941, and continued until his death in 1954, creating compositions using gouache painted paper, cut with scissors and pinned to studio walls to create the artworks, which featured anthropomorphic figures, foliage, and abstract signs. ‘The Fold’ collection by Formafantasma references these cut-outs, through the use of metal and paper shapes cut and assembled in the same way.
‘In the spirit of Henri Matisse, Maison Matisse celebrates joie de vivre; a heritage of optimism combines with those of perseverance, audacity, simplicity and family to envision heirloom-worthy objects,’ says Jean-Matthieu Matisse, the painter’s great-grandson and founder of the brand. ‘These are pieces that harness artisanal craftsmanship to gather value, history and design to bring joy to both present and future generations to come.’
‘The Fold’ collection interprets this modern art heritage and marks Maison Matisse’s first foray into lighting design. Designers Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin were inspired by the artist’s process, and like Matisse, they used a ruler and blade to shape the silhouettes of chandeliers, table lamps, candleholders and pendant lights.
With simple geometric shapes, the designers have created a series of abstract compositions that subtly reference the artist’s creative style, while maintaining Formafantasma’s unique, sophisticated approach. Made of machine-cut and bent steel, spray-painted to a smooth finish in shades from moss green to deep red, pink and blue (each piece is available in the four colours), the lamps feature contrasting white paper shades.
Says Jean-Matthieu Matisse, ‘Ours is a family that counts the finest designers and craftsmen to create forever pieces that make a house a home and inspire optimism: the Maison Matisse state of mind.’
INFORMATION
maison-matisse.com
formafantasma.com
ADDRESS
Via Santa Marta, 21
Milan
-
Designer Marta de la Rica’s elegant Madrid studio is full of perfectly-pitched contradictionsThe studio, or ‘the laboratory’ as de la Rica and her team call it, plays with colour, texture and scale in eminently rewarding ways
-
‘Nothing just because it’s beautiful’: Performance artist Marina Abramović on turning her hand to furniture designMarina Abramović has no qualms about describing her segue into design as a ‘domestication’. But, argues the ‘grandmother of performance art’ as she unveils a collection of chairs, something doesn’t have to be provocative to be meaningful
-
A local’s guide to Los Angeles by defiant artist Fawn RogersOregon-born, LA-based artist Fawn Rogers gives us a personal tour of her adopted city as it hosts its sixth edition of Frieze
-
Salone Del Mobile 2025: Paolo Sorrentino, Robert Wilson, Sou Fujimoto and Pierre-Yves Rochon amongst this year's contributorsThe countdown to Salone Del Mobile 2025 has begun. President, Maria Porro, announced first plans for the fair including some key names
-
Faye Toogood brings new life to Matisse’s legacyMilan Design Week 2023: tapped by Maison Matisse, the London-based designer has taken inspiration from the French master’s forms to create a collection of heirloom-worthy objects
-
Prada Frames 2023: Milan programme announcedProgramme announced for Prada Frames 2023 at Milan Design Week, the annual symposium curated by Formafantasma at Luigi Caccia Dominioni's Teatro Filodrammatici from 17 to 19 April
-
Alessi Occasional Objects: Virgil Abloh’s take on cutleryBest Cross Pollination: Alessi's cutlery by the late designer Virgil Abloh, in collaboration with his London studio Alaska Alaska, is awarded at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023
-
Salone del Mobile 2023: highlights from Milan Design WeekIn pictures: our highlights from Milan Design Week, held during the 61st Salone del Mobile 2023 (18-23 April)
-
USM launches blushing pink limited edition of its modular furnitureFollowing an installation during Milan Design Week 2022, USM launches a new pink limited edition of its Haller range
-
‘You don't want space; you want to fill it’: Milan exhibitionMaking its debut during Milan Design Week 2022 at Marsèll Paradise, a new exhibition by Matylda Krzykowski, explores how we approach the space we live in (until 15 July 2022)
-
Men’s mental health takes centre stage at an art and design exhibition by Tableau‘Confessions’, which travels to Copenhagen’s 3 Days of Design following its debut at Milan Design Week 2022, features commissioned work by 14 male artists, designers and architects, reflecting on toxic masculinity, vulnerability and mental health
