Esquisses
Esquisses
“For over a year I have made a tremendous effort in drawing. I say effort, that is an error, because what has come forth is a flourishing after 50 years of effort”
(letter to his son Pierre, 3 April 1942)
The first Maison Matisse collection to focus on drawing, the Esquisses collection highlights the importance this medium held for Henri Matisse. At once an arena for bold experimentation and a form of expression in its own right, drawing allows us to get as close as possible to the artist’s creative process.
Maison Matisse called upon British designer Faye Toogood to translate this taste for experimentation and this quest for the purity of the line standing out against the white of the paper.
Henri Matisse, Dessins : Thèmes et Variations, reproductions sur papier vélin pur fil, 28,6 x 21,6 cm, Paris, Martin Fabiani, 1943, exemplaire n°211, Série G, variation n°3 ©Succession H.Matisse
During Milan Design Week in April 2023, Maison Matisse invited British designer Faye Toogood to reinterpret a series of ink drawings from Henri Matisse’s book Dessins: Thèmes et Variations (1943).
From these still lifes, made up of the artist’s favourite objects, emerged a series of furniture pieces (curled wool armchairs, a coffee table and a side table in wood and metal), several hand-knotted or tufted Himalayan wool rugs, and a wool throw in merino and mohair.
These minimalist objects, with their clean lines and refined materials, convey with force and sensuality the essential role of drawing in Matisse’s work.
Born in 1978, Faye Toogood grew up in the English countryside. As a child she would gather branches, stones and other debris from the woods that she would arrange in her room. After studying art history and design, she began her career as a stylist in the press before moving on to create objects that are both simple and striking.
Her magpie-like instinct and her obsession with landscape continue to permeate everything she does. Her practice encompasses interior design, product design, the visual arts and fashion; she refuses to limit herself to a single working method. Her London studio is filled with non-conformist personalities, much like her own. They all come together on each of her projects to produce work that is rigorous, poetic and avant-garde.
