Jaime Hayon showcases 'Celebration I' at Fortnum & Mason during LDF 2024

At the brink of art, decoration, design and craftsmanship lies Spanish artist and designer Jaime Hayon’s body of work. Born in Madrid, the Spanish designer operates under the helm of his eponymous Hayon Studio in Valencia, Spain, with offices spread across Barcelona and Treviso in Italy. Hayon has developed a distinct style defined by finely crafted intricate objects that at once fit within the context of contemporary design culture while also popping up, with saturated monotones and forms that reflect a mix of the absurd and the familiar.

At the upcoming London Design Festival, an installation featuring the dynamic and whimsical creations by Hayon will remain on display at Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly, from September 14 - 22, 2024, within the Mayfair Design District, which STIR is a media partner with.

Hayon’s work escapes the canonical boundaries of creative work and functional design. Instead, they exemplify the freedom that contemporary art offers, while embodying the tangible heftness that traditional crafts carry. The designer, who takes every opportunity within a design project to test and experiment with novel processes, materials and inspirations, has, for the past 25 years, blended bold shapes and colours with abstract motifs and forms to shape objects and spaces that incite curiosity, ignite imagination and enliven spaces. The artist draws inspiration from geographical influences, ancient techniques and common folkloric themes to develop aesthetic contemporary designs that straddle the disciplines of design, sculpture and painting.

The design installation at the upcoming London Design Festival 2024 foreshadows the 25th anniversary of Hayon's eponymous studio. The showcase comprises two parts—first, objects that transform the store's windows and second, a laser-cut panel stationed within the atrium. Both of these also epitomise Fortnum & Mason's commitment to artistry. The storefront installation is British luxury retailer Fortnum & Mason's most ambitious collaboration with the design festival in London, UK, to date. The display melds Hayon's distinctive style with the store's legacy of luxury and craftsmanship.

"Just like a trip to Fortnum's, Jaime Hayon's bold and playful work evokes a tangible sense of wonder and joy. Happily blurring the lines between art and design across his interiors, product designs, installations and paintings, Jaime reflects our own love for both modern creative approaches and traditional craft - and we're incredibly excited to be teaming up with London Design Festival this year, to welcome Jaime to Fortnum & Mason, and to share his endlessly colourful, arresting and expressive work with our customers," shares Liz Darran, chief creative officer, Fortnum & Mason.

Hayon, known for his holistic and intertextual approach to art and design, has designed the window installation Celebration I for LDF 2024, which essentially serves as a retrospective of his works. From bright-hued objects to friendly beasts, silhouettes in motion to novel experiments in ceramic, bronze, glass and wood, the window display comes alive with vibrant objects referencing folklore, daily life and cultural motifs. "For me, Celebration I is a way to look back on 25 years of Hayon Studio while also pushing forward into new creative territory. It crystallises everything I love - art, design, craftsmanship - all coming together in a way that I hope will inspire everyone who sees it," Hayon explains.

The immersive installation also features Malabarista, an intricate laser-cut panel, placed in the store's atrium. It depicts a man juggling stars and celestial elements, symbolising Hayon's perspective on 'creativity as a dynamic juggling act, where materials and experiences serve as tools for artistic exploration'. Hayon looks back at his journey as a creator and describes it as a juggler who has shuffled through myriad opportunities in life, deriving inspiration from all sorts of exposure—his travels, disparate cultures, novel conversations—to append his hands-on experimentation and learnings.

Hayon hopes for the design event's visitors to be encapsulated by the vibrancy, colours and energetic novelty emblematic of his works and for people to walk away inspired by the exhibit. Since London has significantly impacted Hayon's work and influenced his artistic journey with its vibrant creative energy and rich history, the design exhibition, stationed in the centre of the city, as part of the design fair, is particularly special for the designer.

In its 22nd edition, the London Design Festival—including its 11 design districts, partners and the design fair Material Matters—stirs the city with a dynamic programme of installations, exhibitions, workshops, talks and more. Follow STIR at London Design Festival 2024, as we continue to bring the best of the festival's offerings as media partners along with our own initiatives across the city, including our partners Shoreditch Design Triangle, Mayfair, the Global Design Forum, and more across Brompton, Battersea, Chelsea, Dalston to Stokey and Bankside.