I first saw Daniel Arsham’s surrealist work, entitled The Future was Then at SCAD Museum. Pulled by curiosity, I followed through a series of rooms divided by excavated walls. Sculptures of eroded bodies appeared, and a Hooded Figure seemed to materialize from the wall itself. The crudely cut walls eventually allowed me to see the carved figure standing at the end of the hall.

Arsham began working with the concept of the future when Hurricane Andrew hit Miami and destroyed his family’s home. Inlet was one of the first examples of this forward-thinking artist. It represented what remained of his home. And he began thinking of the unexpected and a future when today’s objects became relics of the past. Time became the concept behind his work.

This multidisciplinary artist works in 2D—painting, drawing, and photography, 3D—furniture and object making and sculpture, and 4D; film making, installation art, architecture, set designing, public art, and performance—a true aesthetic polymath. We also know him  for his outstanding collaborations with architects, designers, musicians, actors, and choreographers. His work transcends all boundaries and alters the things we already know.

Personally, I admire his work ethic and business acumen. He has everything he needs to be successful in this ever-changing Creative Economy. One of his greatest gifts is the success he has attained through business collaborations—his first being with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company until the end in 2011 with The Final Set Design. In 2019, he collaborated with Dior’s Kim Jones to design the runway and work on the collection itself in the Men’s 2020 Summer Show. That same year, Arsham worked with Porsche to create the first fully functioning 992 as a future relic. In 2021, he teamed with Kohler to design the first 3-D printed ceramic sink named Rock .01 Kohler and then teemed with them again to build a “portal experience” in Milan. This site-specific installation named Divided Layers won first prize at Fuoriosalone in 2022. Arsham has made a name for himself as one of the most influential people in street culture. As Arsham said, “There are only so many ideas floating around in my own head. And by bringing in other influences, I’m able to maybe find things that I wouldn’t have otherwise done.”

Arsham has a long-running collaboration with his partner Alex Mustonen at Snarkitecture. Together they rebranded Kith Stores and branded other stores across the world. They built a cool new barbershop and retail store in DC named Manifest. Upstairs, they built Out of Office, an intimate speakeasy. Among many other fun interactive installations, they built the Beach which is a traveling experience.

In 2020, Arsham took on the role of creative director for the Cleveland Cavaliers to revitalize the brand identity.

You can see more of his work at the Daniel Arsham or Snarkitecture websites, or at his gallery, Galerie Perrotin, Paris, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, and Tokyo. In Berlin, his work is carried by Konig Galerie.  His furniture can be seen at Friedman Benda.

 

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