photography<\/a> (2016). By differing mediums each year, we are able to reach a broader number of people with varied interests. It also allows us the opportunity to work with a wide array of diverse artists, who we can learn a lot from as a design company.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nPhoto \/\/ courtesy of Jean Jullien Shelfie<\/em> and IKEA<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
AZ: For this year\u2019s ART EVENT you chose \u201cthe art of hand drawing,\u201d why was that particular medium chosen?<\/strong><\/p>\nNL<\/strong>: In the digital age, hand drawing becomes an even more fascinating art form, reminding us of what it means to be human in an era dominated by speed and digital content creation. The drawings in the collection are full of tactility, almost as if the artist is leaving a form of his or her fingerprint right there on the paper.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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AZ: How do you the select artists to be featured in the collection?<\/strong><\/p>\nNL<\/strong>: We always seek to include a variety of both established and up-and-coming artists from all over the world, which we think makes for an exciting mix. Part of the appeal of the collection is that the techniques used by the artists are as diverse and varied as the expressions they convey.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
The style of the collection is highly eclectic, with the artists using everything from graphite, pen, and ink, crayon, charcoal, watercolor, gouache, and pastel. The works range from expressing very personal stories to sharing cultural experiences to simply aiming to make the viewer smile.<\/p>\n
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AZ: Is there a common thread between the artists that are featured in the collection?<\/strong><\/p>\nNL<\/strong>: The 12 artists featured in the ART EVENT 2017 collection come from all over the world and varying backgrounds and experiences, which is what helps make the collection so unique.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nPhoto \/\/ courtesy of Koen Taselaar Naive Suave – Imaginary Band 170<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
AZ: The\u00a0IKEA museum was opened to the public in June 2016. Is IKEA thinking of opening an IKEA gallery in the future?<\/strong><\/p>\nNL<\/strong>: At this time, IKEA has no plans to open an art gallery.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nPhoto \/\/ courtesy of Joanna Concejo Around a table<\/em><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/p>\n
AZ: There are critics that say art shouldn\u2019t be accessible, how do you respond to that?<\/strong><\/p>\nNL<\/strong>: Normally, you could say that art has a limitation. That it\u2019s for the few, with a lot of money, or something you see in museums and galleries. But, we think that art belongs in people\u2019s homes. And with these collections, art becomes accessible for a lot of people – you don\u2019t need to be wealthy to buy something unique.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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AZ: Part of IKEA\u2019s mission is \u201cA better everyday life,” do you think art creates a better everyday life?<\/strong><\/p>\nNL<\/strong>: Absolutely. As a design company, we believe that everyone should have the freedom to create a home they love, no matter the size of their wallet. Art is not only about d\u00e9cor \u2013 it is deeply personal and an important part of self-expression, which is why most people don\u2019t settle for art that matches their sofa.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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AZ: Where can we purchase these artworks?<\/strong><\/p>\nNL<\/strong>: The ART EVENT 2017 collection will be available in IKEA US stores starting April 1, and in most IKEA markets globally.<\/p>\nBut hurry \u2013 as a limited-edition collection, ART EVENT 2017<\/a> is only available while supplies last.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nPhoto \/\/ courtesy of Micha Payer & Martin Gabriel<\/span>Reflections on deep thoughts<\/span><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"IKEA wants great art accessible to everyone<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":17187,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,24,23,21],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17180"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17180"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17180\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artzealous.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}