Chestnut roaster by artist Min Chen for LOEWE Weaves collection.
Chestnut roaster by artist Arko for LOEWE Weaves collection.
Chestnut roasters by artists and artisans for LOEWE Weaves collection.
Craft is the essence of LOEWE, in the purest sense of the word. It is one of Creative Director, Jonathan Anderson’s main interests, and he has made this central to LOEWE’s identity.
Reinforcing LOEWE’s commitment to craft, the brand has collaborated with Sotheby’s auction house on the LOEWE Weaves project: a collection of unique artisan crafted objects, including artist-embellished Galician chestnut roasters, woven leather bags, baskets and accessories.
“The act of weaving can take many different meanings and forms; it can be used as decoration or as a way to build a structure,” says Anderson. “We went both ways, with the aim of pushing craft to the extreme and exploring new ways to bring objects to life, turning traditional techniques into something unexpected.”
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Chestnut roasters by artist Laia Arqueros for LOEWE Weaves collection.
Small Balloon Flower bag in classic calfskin.
The main protagonist in the collection is the Chestnut roaster from Galicia: a handmade clay pot in which multiple holes are punched. The holes are functional, but the texture they create is an ideal playground for different weaving techniques.
As for the accessories, LOEWE Weaves extends the idea of weaving to finely crafted leather and raffia accessories rich in artisanal details: bags, bracelets, but also woven and knotted vases.
Sotheby’s are exhibiting a selection of seven artist-embellished chestnut roasters featuring experimental weaving techniques by artists (Japan), Min Chen (China) and Laia Arqueros (Spain). The handmade pots, created by master potter Antonio Pereira and reinterpreted by these three artists, will be displayed alongside the exceptional pieces of Sotheby’s marquee May auctions of Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary Art in New York.
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Master potter Antonio Pereira.
Antonio Pereira’s studio.
Japanese artist Arko.
Chinese artist Min Chen.
Spanish artist Belen Avelleira.
Spanish artist Laia Arqueros.
Spanish artist Idoia Cuesta.
In addition to these pieces, 84 chestnut roasters were given to artisans Idoia Cuesta and Belen Martinez from Spain and to artisans in LOEWE’s own ateliers for them to experiment with. Holes have been braided or passed through with strips of fabrics, ribbons, rope, leather strings, wool threads, feathers and straw. The functionality of these objects has been twisted and turned, becoming abstract as discarded materials that have gained new life.
“Many of the materials embellishing the roasters are, in fact, surplus from past LOEWE collections,” says Anderson. “Authentic craft, for me, is sustainable.”
“Across this whole project, what I hope comes through is the liveliness and expansiveness of contemporary craft, as well as its playfulness,” explains Anderson. “I am proud we have created singular objects that rewire function through decoration, and the other way round.”
The LOEWE Weaves collection will be available at LOEWE stores and from 27 May, 2021.
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