Artist Berit Mogensen Lopez x ferm LIVING

Join us as artist and textile designer Berit Mogensen Lopez talks about her creative process and making the print ‘Entire’ for ferm LIVING.

 

With a bachelor’s degree in Textiles and a Master of Arts degree in Clothing from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design, Berit has always used materials as a starting point for creating. Berit began her career in the clothing and textile industry but has since unfolded her creativity on canvas and paper, creating unique paintings and collages that represent her and her artistic universe.

 

 

 

 

Berit worked in the fashion industry for many years. Together with a handful of other designers, she had her own business and shop in Studiestræde in central Copenhagen, where she designed and sewed her collections. But in an industry where pressure is constant and innovation is a requirement, Berit often felt constrained. The goal was always to find the next "new", the next new design and the next trend: "Although I found creating clothes interesting and rewarding, I often felt drained of energy," Berit says."I have always painted and drawn a lot in my spare time, and it is in this kind of immersion that I find my motivation and inspiration."

 

Berit Mogensen Lopez's art is known for being abstract and decorative, but when she collaborates with clients on new projects, her works and prints are often used in contexts that challenge the framework of "ordinary" art. During her education, Berit worked with exploring the use of different materials, and for Berit, it is the work in the borderland between art and design that makes her works unique. With a background as a textile designer, it is natural for Berit to work with expressions that work well in many contexts, "I feel that the way I work gives me more creative opportunities. I enjoy seeing my work in people's homes, both on their walls and as an interior design piece. That's also why I'm so proud of my collaboration with ferm LIVING because it emphasises what art can do."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Berit Mogensen Lopez has created the abstract print called "Entire" for ferm LIVING's Autumn-Winter collection. The Entire print is used for a tapestry, lampshades, and upholstery. When Berit defined the Entire print, it was based on earlier work in which she focused specifically on compositions. That Entire emerges from a work in progress also emphasises the continuity of Berit's creative process. Berit's art is constantly evolving, and her works of art are something that can be set aside and worked on later.

 

"I'm probably in a constant exploratory and formative phase, both when I work for myself and for clients like ferm LIVING. I have my library of materials in my studio, with things and works that I am either working on, have set aside, or that have potential. So, in my creative process, I sometimes think of something that would be a good fit for a client or that can be worked on further, so I pull it out of the materials library and continue to explore and design." To achieve the right composition for Entire, Berit worked a lot with cut-out shapes in paper. The paper allowed her to move the composition around with great ease until the right expression emerged. The paper cut-outs were combined with watercolours to give the print the lightness and elegance that also characterises the Entire collection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Entire print is also kept in calm shades, reflecting the spirit of the season and the tactile, subdued look that is the epitome of ferm LIVING. Berit explains that she and the design team wanted the print to be easy to read, which means that the print should work effortlessly in different contexts and for different designs: "Normally I work with more contrast, but in this case, it suited me well that we worked from some curated tones and shades. We agreed that if a print is to work on a piece of furniture or a lamp, it must fit into a framework. It's fine if it's a little noisy, but as a designer, you must always consider what fits in a home. The colours in Entire invite you to relax while also having a lovely poetic and picturesque expression. There is a cohesiveness to it, something is happening, but the eye relaxes."

 

 

“I feel that the way I work gives me more creative opportunities. I enjoy seeing my work in people’s homes, both on their walls and as an interior design piece. That’s also why I’m so proud of my collaboration with ferm LIVING because it emphasises what art can do.”

 

 

 

 

When asked how the collaboration has been, Berit replies: "There has been mutual respect right from the start, and I think ferm LIVING has something quite unique. For me, ferm LIVING is very tactile. The quality is high, and everything is well thought through, from the choice of materials to how the design is used every day. I like that it's not too sterile and that the aesthetic is subdued but beautiful at the same time. It's quite clear that ferm LIVING makes things for the home, where there is space for living, cosiness and to be just who you are, which is also the essence of what I think a home should be like."