ronan & erwan bouroullec play with shadow + light with patterned curtains for kvadrat

debuting at the stockholm furniture fair, ‘rennes’ and ‘chainette’ are a duo of curtain collections by ronan & erwan bouroullec that are based on delicate embroidery techniques. created for kvadrat, the two series share the same pattern, but are different in quality and characteristic. while ‘rennes’ features wide, diagonal, densely-stitched intersecting stripes, which generate and interplay of bold colorful forms, ‘chainettes’ takes on a more subtle aesthetic, with its thin lines embroidered with braids.

image by brian buchard, all images courtesy of ronan & erwan bouroullec

ronan & erwan bouroullec’s curtain collections for kvadrat at the stockholm furniture fair generate a relationship with luminosity by creating different spacial sensations depending on the quality of light. while ‘rennes’ becomes intensely colorful when lit from behind, ‘chainettes’ results in a greater sense of transparency. the thin colors inside of the lines softly react to the strength of light.

‘rennes’ and ‘chainette’ are the first realizations from ‘seventeen screens’, an exhibition presented in tel aviv and rennes that incorporated interweaving sequences of modular elements, held together by joints and hanging systems. here, aquarelle drawings were translated into a set of interrelated units, with surfaces creating an interplay of light and color that corresponds to changing ambient conditions.

’embroidery has always been something important to us,’ ronan bouroullec describes. ‘the area where we come from, brittany, has a long tradition about it. we saw in various occasions traditional clothes with gold yarns and colorful patterns. we have always had an interest for it — and for this collection, the delicacy, the lightness of this technique was the proper translation of our drawings.’

’embroidery, even mechanical, has a very subtle way of enhancing the curtains and what happens when you see through,’ he continues. ‘the yarns somehow model the surface while informing very smartly the colors. it still conveys a certain memory of old handcrafted embroideries, but our approach to patterns and the context of kvadrat brought us to this very engineered and precise technique.’