(Archive) Messmerizing x G-Star The Art of RAW

The Art of RAW: Teun Zwets

Each artist is given the freedom to experiment, creating unique pieces within their own disciplinary whilst upcycling materials. For The Art of RAW Teun made the furniture object ‘Denim Living’. Starting with a chair prototype, he initially built a metal frame as a base. To add strength he layered denim waste piece by piece, eventually laminating the fabric with a binder to make it solid. The finished furniture object featured a lamp, cupboard and chair in one, creating a distinctly unique art piece. Stay tuned for the next artist collaboration!"

The Art of RAW: Athena Gronti

"When I moved to the Netherlands to study design, I didn’t have a clear idea of where I was going with it. I was always drawn to textiles because my grandma was a seamstress actually and so I grew up with her always sewing things on her machine or embroidering to relax… My studies were called Lifestyle Design, it was quite broad. The medium was free to choose so there was a year or two where I was playing around with different materials. And then at some point I just got my hands on textiles and it clicked. It wasn’t really a planned thing, it happened and felt right so I stuck with it."

The Art of RAW: Lenny Stöpp

Quiet and considered, Lenny takes his time to detail his artistic life so far. Art, it seems, was a natural career path. He was born and raised in the Netherlands, by his mother, a graphic designer and father, a practical hands-on technician, combining the two approaches within his work. From an early age Lenny knew he wanted to explore different creative avenues, focusing on practical learnings such as drawing, woodwork and sewing throughout his studies. This kickstarted his in-depth exploration of materials and processes.

Exhibiting at multiple shows since the opening up from the global pandemic, he has received credible recognition across Europe. With an upcoming exhibition in Napoli on the horizon, it seems the attentive artist may gain even more popularity in the art world, one country at a time. With a distinct attention to detail, Lenny reiterates his methodical approach to the project which resulted in inventing a new material through his own creative recipe, using apparatus, ingredients and lots of experimentation. Starting with denim waste, he added it to an industrial pulp machine, before mixing in corn starch and water. It resulted in a new, fluffier composition.