Arthur Arbesser likes to keep things small—and not just because As an independent designer, he has to deal with limited resources, but also because he likes “a more domestic dimension in my practice, more freedom from pressure,” as he explained in his spring talk.
Presented on mannequins in the original contemporary art gallery, his whimsical works are interspersed with artworks handcrafted from ready-made objects: fragments of chairs become Into abstract shapes, driftwood inlaid with silk threads and pearls, metal leftovers mutate into a fragile freestanding structure. Everything is made in his studio. “We had so much fun, it felt like we were living in a crazy kid’s playground,” he said. “What’s the problem with that? Childhood is beautiful.”
Turn family into soulful inspiration, find comfort in the neighborhood, and play with the resources at hand Creativity – that’s what draws Arbesser, “like children, creating beautiful and even precious things from almost nothing,” he says. This approach has endeared him to the like-minded art community, who appreciate what he dismissively calls “the way of my gadgets.”
Arbesser is a bit of a renaissance man who has successfully dabbled in all kinds of work that require not only imagination but practical design ability. He has worked with textile companies to create beautiful fabrics and rugs, and with interior design factories to produce quirky and creative furniture. He is also a high-profile costume designer for opera and ballet, and he is currently curating an exhibition for art collectors in Vienna. Children are sometimes hyperactive.
As for the collection, it’s as charming as the designer himself. Pieces exude poetic simplicity and elegance—masculine square-cut shirts, A-line pleated skirts, recycled nylon raincoats. There are simple shapes that can be juxtaposed and mismatched, made from honest fabrics, printed with delicate graphics inspired by the Viennese Secession, or available in solid colors that Arbesser prefers, referencing the work of German expressionist painter Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.
“There’s nothing wrong with being more nuanced and sensitive today,” he concluded. “But who cares? We live in a world of orders – the only thing that makes you really happy is to follow your own pace.”
