16 minute read
TIME TO NWAR > 058. BRASIL: CASA NA MATA > 046. ART INTERVIEW: ENDLESS
from Vamp Magazine #46
[TIME TO NWAR]
Stephanie Borg is a leading artist and surface pattern designer based in Malta. Her inspiration comes from the love for her home island, Malta – the nation of colour vibes and patterns seen all around the island from wrought iron to tile patterns, charming doors to iconic Luzzu boats and the all the vivid cultural activities.
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Her passion for heritage preservation was the key trigger in setting fashionable trends for tile patterns, door and wrought iron designs. Today, after a journey of 11 years of hard work, Stephanie brought back the focus on the beauty of Malta’s heritage through her art and products. This has resulted into a trend that has caught the eye of young artists and designers who are now inspired by her efforts and work and following the lead on the trend!
“My own state of being always plays an important role in my choice of colour, medium and form. This awareness helps me keep redefining myself ~ casting off the old me in search of the new. That is why I don’t like labelling my work, I find that limiting. Experiences, influences and thinking affect the working process of an artist, and these can bring unpredictable and exciting changes.”
Stephanie Borg® has so far created over 420 products from 8 vibrant collections, which are enjoyed in beautiful homes, offices and luxury boutique hotels around the world. Available from her charming Studio Boutique in Rabat and from her online shop with worldwide delivery with a number of authorized retailers in Malta & Gozo.
What does Nwar Mean?
Nwar means blossom in Maltese, the sprouting of the flower into the fruit. Blossoms, sprouts and flowers are often depicted on local cement tiles and found intertwined on beautiful wrought ironwork as seen on traditional Maltese façades. The visual strength of the bold graphics in a purposely mixed hue of blue contrast sharply against the sparkling white background bringing to life your table and home set-up.
The Nwar Collection is an interplay of patterns and curved lines offering a fashionable feast for your home through a variety of decorative and useful items. Be inspired to create a different table set-up each time with the mix and match of designs hand-painted on the dinner plates available in four different sizes. The same plates can be styled as wall art and décor.
What does Nwar collection consist of?
The bold collection consists of tableware and homeware items such as the iconic hand-painted vases which can be enjoyed as floral bouquet vases but also as wine bottle chillers and kitchen utencil holders too. The 6 piece dinnerset comprises of different plate sizes each with 3 different design for that perfect, versatile table setup. A large rectangular tray purposely designed for fine food meze, or simply use as a daily centre piece – 3 designs to choose from. The collection is complimented with the tea and espresso cups and saucers in 3 different designs, accompanied by the 100% linen table runner for added visual impact. A soap dispenser, finished off with a brushed gold pump adds charm to any kitchen sink or bathroom being in a humble abode or a hotel, restaurant or office.
Where did the inspiration for this collection came from?
Nwar is the fruit of my continuous hardwork which is driven by my passion for the preservation of our local heritage that truly shapes our colour and identity. An intertwining of my knowhow and research of the Maltese tile pattern designs and the wrought iron designs has resulted into the creation of the Nwar curves. This inspiration from both subjects has sparked the birth of Nwar, blue blossom.
What’s your favourite item from the collection?
I personally have to say that I do not have one favourite piece as I see the Nwar Collection holistically. I love how all the pieces compliment each other and how versatile the pattern designs are. The purpose is for any Nwar Collection owner to be able to be bold and personalize his/her own tableset up by having the option of mix and matching the designs from the 3 available patterns per piece. Therefore each bought set is unique in its own way aligned with its owner’s tastes and creativity. Apart from tableware, the Nwar plates can also be used to create a charming wall art, hence the creativity does not stop on the dining table! Why are you launching now?
The Nwar Blue Blossom project has been on the development board for some months now and although it was very challenging to invest time and funds on a new collection and managing all the obstacles this generated during the pandemic, I felt that Nwar actually will give that ray of sunshine to everyone of us that are longing for those Summer nights with our families surrounding the dinner table, enjoying Maltese food and good company in style. The pandemic has made us all realize how priceless these social events with people that matter truly are. It gives me joy to see people enjoying this spirit surrounded by the beauty of Nwar where food is enjoyed and relationships flourish like blossoms. Cheers to the future and the fine things in life! Where can we find Nwar?
The collection is currently available online with worldwide delivery options – coming soon to a selected few authorized retailers in Malta & Gozo this Summer.
Organizing an event for your special occassion? Be bold and rent Nwar!
Create the most bold and beautiful Nwar table setting for your wedding or special event by renting out the Nwar Collection. Contact us for a quote based on the number of pieces and days. Get the table setting* styled by Stephanie Borg and experience the bold Nwar effect. Floral Bouquets for the Nwar vases can be organised and arranged. Add a Nwar-themed place holder for your guests and impress them with a designed even invitation by the artist. Get in touch for more information on how we can make this happen.
*The composition by the artist is only referring to the Nwar Items and does not include the napkins, lighting, cutlery and other decorations.
For licencing projects and international retailing please contact orders@stephanieborg.com.
[ STYLE UP YOUR HOME ]
VITRA HANG IT ALL | BY CHARLES & RAY EAMES, 1953
The ‘Hang it all’ coat rack by Charles and Ray Eames comes in a variety of colour combinations and brings a cheerful note not only to homes but to all kinds of environments.
VITRA AKARI 25N | ISAMU NOGUCHI, 1951
The Akari Light Sculptures (1951) by Isamu Noguchi are a series of luminaires, handcrafted from traditional washi paper by Japanese artisans. ‘The harshness of electricity is thus transformed through the magic of paper back to the light of our origin – the sun.’ (Noguchi) Available from Vitra at Vivendo, Mdina Road, Qormi, QRM9011. Follow on Instagram @ vivendoprojects
VITRA TIP TON RE| EDWARD BARBER & JAY OSGERBY, 2011/2020
Together with Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Vitra has now developed a version of the chair that is manufactured from recycled plastic: Tip Ton RE. The highquality recycling material stems from recycled household waste, particularly used packaging. Utilising this raw material instead of petroleum-based primary plastics generates 54% less climate-damaging emissions, with a significant reduction in primary energy consumption.
Panton Chair Verner Panton. 1959/1960
Verner Panton developed the Panton Chair as the first one piece cantilever chair made of plastic. It has become an icon of twentieth-century furniture design.
EVO-C Jasper Morrison. 2020
Designed by Jasper Morrison, EVO-C is a contemporary reinterpretation of the principle and characteristics of the classic cantilever chair using the latest technologies.
The Cantilever Chair. Two chairs - more than 60 years of evolution.
With the newly introduced EVO-C and the update of the Panton Chair one of our well-known classics Vitra is bringing an almost forgotten chair typology, the cantilever, back into the spotlight.
Brazil: Casa na Mata,
Just a two-hour drive from São Paulo, Brazil, on the mountainous coastline near the town of Guarujá, a house breaches the rainforest’s dense canopy, transporting you from one world to another. This is no ordinary house. This is Casa na Mata (The Jungle House)
A Contemporary rainforest home from home
It was completed in September 2015 by world-renowned architecture studio mk27, and it couldn’t be more aptly named. This 805 square metre home, which sits on a 1668 square meter patch of the jungle, was built in a spot where the vegetation naturally cleared on the mountainside. All of this made it ideal for project architect Marcio Kogan, co-architect Samanta Cafardo, and their project team to begin whipping up the perfect family home for their clients.
It stands out amongst the surrounding dark greenery from a bird’s eye view, notably its rooftop infinity pool and fireplace. The Jungle House looks as if it emerged from the rainforest itself. A home so exceptionally secluded that it makes us want to pack our bags and... make ourselves at home. Concrete and wood are the two primary ingredients that went into the building’s construction, their simple, clean lines perfectly playing off the dense, mountainous topography and engulfing foliage. Elevated on two pillars, the home is orientated on the side of the mountain, taking advantage of the fantastic ocean views and bright sunlight. It is separated into three storeys, offering the home’s inhabitants multipurpose function from the bottom up.
Let’s take a look inside. >>
Once this house first greets you, you’ll soon notice the landscape has the objective of optimizing the connection between architecture and nature, augmenting the view looking out to the ocean and the presence of sunlight in the internal spaces.
The main volume of the house is elevated from the ground and seems built into the topography. The home, therefore, projects itself out from the mountain. The contact elements between the slope and the construction - such as the wooden decks – were shaped to respect the existing land, thereby creating an organic interaction between nature and the architectural elements. Where it comes out of the mountain, the structure touches the ground with just two pillars. >>
The three floors of Jungle House create a clear programmatic division for the project: the ground floor houses a large covered wooden deck, connected to a small room for the children; on the first floor, there are six bedrooms – five of them with small verandas with hammocks – and a tv room; the third and last floor is the social area of the house, including a swimming pool, a living room and the kitchen.
Casa na Mata doesn’t follow the standard upstairs sleeping quarters model. The pool and the social areas are on the roof; the bedrooms are located a level below. The deck is on the ground floor- protected by the projection of the house – it is an ample and generous space that configures a shaded shelter for children to play. The utility rooms are also located on this floor.
The wooden deck on the ground floor gives way to the stairs enabling access to the house that “interrupts” the concrete slab. Before entering the closed space, one passes an intermediary space, enveloped by concrete and houses a luminous work by the renowned artist Olafur Eliasson. >>
The interiors project sought to create a modern atmosphere, offering a cosy feeling in harmony with this tropical environment.
The landscape recomposes the native species. When one is in the house, the relationship with the surrounding vegetation occurs not only through the view but also through the plants that surround the wooden decks. On the ground floor, you can stroll amid trees; on the first floor, light enters filtered through the tree-tops; and on the roof, there is the vegetation with the ocean in the background.
This last floor offers a spatial sensation that synthesizes the principles of the house: on one side, there is a deck which houses the hot tub and the sauna – where there is an intense relationship between the architecture and the mountain and its vegetation; on the other side, a ground fireplace and the pool; in the centre – between these two free spaces – is the living room open to both sides and with cross-ventilation. This social space has a radical relation with nature through both the view of the ocean and the proximity to the forest in the mountain. >>
Casa na Mata breathes with the nature surrounding it, and it is both a highly well-designed and functional space, leaving us with a taste for a tropical adventure, and a severe bout of wonderlust. [ V ]
PUTTING THE EXCITEMENT BACK INTO PROPERTY PURCHASING!
MALTA PROPERTY AUCTIONEERS
We know what you’re thinking. Another real estate ad? But Malta Property Auctioneers, have just made a stressful process for many, much, much easier.
First things first, should the home of your dreams catch your eye, you don’t even need to be here. You can bid from anywhere in the world! Yes, that’s right, so whether you’re snooping from the sister island or somewhere miles away - you can bid just like anyone else. The bidding process is transparent, and if the reserved price is met, the sellers are committed to selling. Prospective buyers don’t pay any fees to buy through the Bidding Events (except the standard notary/professional fees and stamp duty), but hey, those have to be done!
What’s more, Malta Property Auctioneers, know you are all super busy people and going to check out a prospective property takes time. So, they fine pick an assortment of top properties with both quality and value. They’re offering plenty of details with each listing to help you make your mind up and save you time. This includes comprehensive video walkthroughs, detailed plans and every piece of relevant documentation related to the property, right down to the promise of sale itself. If you hadn’t considered bidding your way to your next property, then don’t overlook this smooth way to nab yourself a genuinely great pad! Let’s take a look at the upcoming Bidding Events you’ll definitely be wanting to add to your calendar.
A large, 1 bedroom corner apartment finished to very high standards, with a welcoming entrance hall and a square open plan kitchen/breakfast, living and dining area. The property enjoys a large terrace and beautiful city views.
Online Bidding Event starts on 29/07/2021 at 10:00 AM CET Suggested Opening Bid: €430,000
Spectacularly positioned 2-bedroomed apartment enjoying an open plan layout with an open balcony and seafront’s unobstructed views.
Online Bidding Event starts on 30/06/2021 at 10:00 AM CET Suggested Opening Bid: €415,000
A recently re-fitted, ready to move into corner terraced house in a quiet part of San Gwann. This 5-bedroomed spacious house enjoys a large living room, dining room and a modern fitted kitchen.
Online Bidding Event starts on 10/07/2021 at 10:00 AM CET Suggested Opening Bid: €610,000
IT’S GLOW TIME...
MANCAVE
ManCave Protective Moisturiser uses UVA Filters to help protect from UV rays whilst locking in hydration and helping to counteract signs of premature ageing with Shea Butter and Radicare. Offering SPF 20 protection, this product is made for the great outdoors with Rosehip oil & Vitamin E both protecting your skin from environmental pollution.
SOS PRIMER UV SPF30
This multi-use primer hydrates, adds radiance, improves your make-up hold and provides UV protection all in one easy glide. The Key ingredient Organic Sea Lily delivers 24-hour hydration and allows the skin to breathe, whilst Clarins unique Anti-Pollution Complex protects the skin from environmental aggressors
GENTLE RENEWING CLEANSING MOUSSE
This Foaming cleansing mousse is perfect for all skin types. It gently cleanses and smoothes with exfoliating Tamarind pulp extract rich in AHAs. This excellent extract creates an exfoliating action on the skin’s texture by breaking the links between the cells to remove dead skin cells.
SUN CARE BODY OIL-INMIST UVA/UVB 30
Clarins Sun Care Oil Mist for Body and Hair SPF 30 provides high protection for a beautiful tan. This easy-to-apply, dry oil spray is ideal for those looking for invisible protection that will nourish your body.
SELF TANNING MILKY LOTION
An ultra-hydrating self-tanning formula that creates a flawless, radiant, natural-looking tan while providing 24-hour moisture. It gives your skin an even and natural-looking tan that lasts thanks to the [SelfTanComplex], a combination of naturally sourced DHA and erythrulose. Its formula is utterly rich in organic fig extract.
