The Diane Von Furstenberg fashion label is synonymous with iconic splashy prints that have brightened people and parties for years.  We are delighted to learn about the recent launch of the label’s new creative initiative, ‘DVF Studio,’ which invites emerging artists and designers to collaborate on an assortment of limited edition objects that are displayed within prominent DVF stores sprinkled across America.  This past month, Venezuelan-born artist Reinaldo Sanguino contributed to the new “studio” in DVF’s Soho boutique in New York by creating gorgeous, free-hand painted ceramics inspired by her recent collection.

 

Sanguino is currently based in New York City and marries modern and traditional aesthetics that draw from the City’s transcendent energy.  Sanguino moved to New York in 1993 after graduating from School of Visual Arts Cristobal Rojas in Caracas, Venezuela with a concentration in ceramics. We can’t get enough of his vibrant pieces, especially the custom ceramics he creates for homes.

 

Art Zealous was lucky enough to borrow a moment with Sanguino to chat about everything from Instagram to dabbling in interior works of art.

 

Art Zealous: Art background?

Reinaldo Sanguino: I started to make art since I was a child, I went to The School of Visual Arts Cristobal Rojas in Caracas Venezuela.

 

My earliest influences were my parents, my mother was a seamstress and my father was a hobbyist jeweler. Later when I went to art school, and later in life, I was fascinated with artists like African Art, Manet, Goya, Armando Reveron, Antoni Tapies, Dali, Robert Rauschenberg, and Basquiat.

 

 

AZ: Hometown?

RS: New York.

 

AZ: Drink order?

RS: Negroni.

 

AZ: Favorite museum? 

RS: The Met.

 

AZ: Dream travel destination?

RS: Galapagos Island.

 

AZ: Currently reading?

RS: Manet The Still-Life Paintings.

 

AZ: Tell me about your recent collaboration with Diane Von Furstenberg Studio?

RS: I was approached by Tina Worsley at DVF to create a collection of ceramic works inspired by their 2017 collection.  I was immediately drawn to the multicultural feeling in the patterns and colors of their designs.

 

The works I created resulted in a diverse group of vessels of individual shapes and color composition. I was thrilled how the works complemented the designer’s garments in the store — it was a beautiful visual conversation.

 

 

AZ: I love your gorgeous abstract designs on ceramics which are all painted freehand. What is your process like for freehand painting? Any tips?

RS: My work is built from multiple layers and every step determines the next. I work very organically and by intuition.  However, I use lots of imagery and gestures that I have mentally archived. Also, I never overlook a “mistake”- I look for possibilities to adjust all forms of gestures.

 

 

AZ: What’s your strategy for using saturated color on your ceramics?

RS: To allow surprise as a composition element.

 

AZ: You have an impressive Instagram following – who are your favorite artists to follow?

RS: Most artists I like are either dead or don’t have Instagram.

 

AZ: How do you think interior design affects art selection for the home? 

RS: Interior designers know how to make color and shapes work well together but they are not art curators. I believe,for the most part, interior design is limited to the formal aspect between the art and the furniture, not purpose.

 

 

AZ: How does your creative process differ when you’re designing for a specific home?

RS: When I’m working on a custom piece, my only limitation may be a specific color palette, but other than that my process is the same

 

 

AZ: What was it like spending time when you were younger in Venezuela?

RS: I grew up in a large family between the city and a rural area exposed to different social classes and religious backgrounds.

 

AZ: What can we expect to see from you in the future?

RS: I have an itch for making large works that can surround a person – but not sure yet where it is going.

 

Follow Reinaldo on Instagram.


Photos by DVF Studio, Yoshihiro Makino from The Future Project and Reinaldo Sanguino.