< PreviousSix N.Five Studio ----------------- Founded by graphic designer Ezequiel Pini in 2014, this Barcelona studio counts Microsoft, Apple and Cassina among its clients. Pini has watched the possibilities of 3D design mushroom over the past decade. “When we fi rst started, it was almost impossible to imagine how things are now - we were considered as users of a tool more than an as artists or designers,” he explains. “Now, it’s seen as a mode of expression.” Pini’s fi ve-strong team is infl uenced by fashion, architecture and industrial design, and creates imagery that he describes as “visual mind- trips”. “Our style is meditative, utopian and sometimes provocative,” he adds. “Sometimes we show the sun or moon, or even our interpretation of a planet that hasn’t yet been discovered. We’re inviting the viewer to jump in and be part of the scene.” Sixnfi ve.com; @sixnfi ve AD_033_48-57_Arena_Imaginary worlds_11310068.indd 5024/06/2020 09:44:20 PMCharlotte Taylor ---------- This London artist’s interest in 3D technology started at college – she has BAs in design, from Goldsmiths University, and fi ne art, from Chelsea College of Arts. “It’s evolved into an art form in its own right,” she explains. Taylor is inspired by 1970s and 80s interiors, but like many 3D artists, she sees her work as essentially playful. “Projects are often arrived at through improvised or completely nonsensical decisions!” Indeed, she likes to explore the concept of impossible and even “illegal” spaces. “I want people to experience the same excitement and curiosity I do.” Her soon-to-launch creative agency, Maison de Sable, is already discussing collabora- tions with furniture and product designers. “Brands are turning to 3D more and more, whether for backdrops for fashion shoots or digitalised events,” she refl ects. “Designers are also realising that it’s an economi- cal, sustainable and time- effi cient way to trial products.” Studiocharlottetaylor. com; @charlottetaylr AR E N A/ Im a g in ar y w o rl d s 51 IM A G E : C H A R LO T T E T A Y LO R X V IC T O R R O U S S E L ; P R E V IO U S PA G E S : C H A R LO T T E T A Y LO R X J O E M O R T E L L AD_033_48-57_Arena_Imaginary worlds_11310068.indd 5124/06/2020 09:44:32 PMAlexis Christodoulou --------------------- Cape Town artist Alexis Christodoulou is proof that 3D art is a democratising force in design. A professional copywriter, he taught himself 3D rendering as a hobby and now has tech, furniture and cosmetics brands vying for his attention. His interest stemmed from the video games he played as a child, which he found stylistically lacking; instead, he’s inspired by David Chipperfi eld buildings and Aldo Rossi drawings. “My work is a combination of all the architectural movements I fi nd fascinating, but I also look to cinema, photography and the natural world,” he says. “For me, it’s about escapism. The furniture elements add a touch of reality to something that’s otherwise surreal.” The most challenging aspect of his process, he says, is how quickly 3D technology is changing. “You really have to stay on top of things, but I think it’s going to become more inclusive, helping designers to get into the fi eld more easily.” Alexiscstudio.com; @teaaalexis AD_033_48-57_Arena_Imaginary worlds_11310068.indd 5224/06/2020 09:44:49 PMStefano Giacomello ---------- Does your dream home combine Modernist furniture with big skies and a perfect beach? Step into the world of Montreal designer Stefano Giacomello, who collaborated with artist Charlotte Taylor on this dreamy scene. Giacomello studied interior design in Barcelona and Rome and has created immersive environments for the likes of Comme des Garçons. He started making 3D art as an Instagram sideline about a year ago, and was so successful that it’s since morphed into a full-time job. Like many artists in the medium, he places emphasis on the light in his images, and wants them to feel warm and calm. “There’s a boom happening in 3D design right now, which Covid-19 has greatly accelerated,” he says. “With studios not being able to shoot content as usual, they’ve turned to 3D artists from Instagram. We’ll see what happens when the world goes back to normal, but dreamscapes have good days ahead, I think!” Stefanogiacomello. com; @stefo_rotolo AR E N A/ Im a g in ar y w o rl d s 53 AD_033_48-57_Arena_Imaginary worlds_11310068.indd 5324/06/2020 09:45:06 PMNar eg Taimooran --------- This Iranian-born designer creates furniture, interiors and set designs as well as 3D art, which he came to from an unusual angle. He studied civil engineering in his native Iran, followed by a masters in structural design. Early roles in the engineering industry led him towards 3D rendering technology, which he found he could use to further his creative ambitions. Now living in LA, Taimoorian counts interior decorator Kelly Wearstler among his clients and creates deceptively realistic imagery. “My style is modern, colourful, calm and dreamy,” he says. “I like to combine interior and exterior spaces in such a way that you can hardly separate one from the other. I want people to feel calm and relaxed when they look at my images, but not like they’re out of reach; for this reason, I don’t add a lot of surreal elements.” Naregtaimoorian.com; @nareg_taimoorian B A CK G R OUND IM AG E: A N DR ZE J K R Y S ZP INIUK AD_033_48-57_Arena_Imaginary worlds_11310068.indd 5424/06/2020 09:45:26 PMBenjamin Guedj --------------- Parisian Benjamin Guedj started out studying graphic design, but quickly outgrew the medium. “I was frustrated by 2D,” he says, “so I started exploring 3D and never looked back. I’ve always been fascinated by hyper-realistic 3D renderings.” Graphics continue to inspire him, though, especially if they feature minimalist shapes and striking colour palettes. You can also detect the infl uence of 1960s architecture in his work, “with its smooth shapes and lines”. Guedj has collaborated with Apple, and he’s a co-founder of boutique hotel brand Grand Numéro, which has properties in Madrid, Nepal and Morocco. Perhaps it’s this experience with real spaces that gives his images their atmospheric feel (the one shown here is a collaboration with fellow artist Charlotte Taylor). “I try to infuse light into them to convey an emotion or tell a story,” he explains. “Most of my scenes don’t have a human presence, but you can imagine who might live there.” Benjaminguedj.com; @oursroux AR E N A/ Im a g in ar y w o rl d s 55 AD_033_48-57_Arena_Imaginary worlds_11310068.indd 5524/06/2020 09:45:43 PMDaniel Medina -------------- There’s a surreal quality to Daniel Medina’s work that stems from his love of art – in particular, Salvador Dalí, Edward Hopper and David Hockney, as well as his own grandfather, a painter. Born in the Canary Islands but now living in the British city of Bristol, Medina discovered 3D technology as an architecture student at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria University. “I loved it because it had no limits – every idea, I could realise,” he says. Since then, he’s created artwork for Sony and animations for Adidas, and describes his playful designs as “driven by exploring the unexpected.” Lately, he’s been inspired by his homeland, creating scenes featuring volcanoes and seascapes alongside colourful furniture. He wants his images to feel like “an escape from the real world”, but sounds a note of caution when it comes to technology. “It’s changing so fast, it needs to be in the right hands, so we don’t lose the human connection.” Danielmedina.studio; @danielmedina3d AD_033_48-57_Arena_Imaginary worlds_11310068.indd 5624/06/2020 09:46:02 PMBenoit Challand -------- This sunlit pink palace is a typically uplifting work by Lyon artist Benoit Challand, whose background is in art direction. He’s made fi lms about luxury watches for Chanel and still-life imagery for Louis Vuitton, but also has a whimsical side, indulged when creating fantasy landscapes based on Monopoly games for McDonald’s, or an imaginary ecosphere for Nissan’s electric car, the Leaf. “I like to twist simple ideas into unexpected visions,” he says. “Colour is important in my work, as is nature – I try to evoke quiet places with a sense of freedom.” Posting his work on Instagram and seeing the responses fl ood in gives him an immediate sense of reward. He appreciates the impact such platforms can have in popularising technology, and thinks they will shape its future direction. “I believe it will evolve into something even more immersive.” Benoitchalland.com; @benoitchalland AR E N A/ Im a g in ar y w o rl d s 57 AD_033_48-57_Arena_Imaginary worlds_11310068.indd 5724/06/2020 09:46:27 PM000 In the family room, the Together sofa is by Damien Langlois- Meurinne from the Invisible Collection. The bronze Ocean Memories table by Mathieu Lehanneur. The sculpture on the plinth is by Philippe Anthonioz and the wall lights from Thai Natura. The artwork is by David Nash. OPPOSITE PAGE: The hallway console is by Joël Savry from Galerie Gosserez. On it sit vases by Antoinette Faragallah from Chahan Gallery and a sculpture by Aude Herlédan from 1831 Art Gallery. The photograph is by Karen Knorr. Wall lights, CTO Lighting. AD_033_58-65_Arena_Paris_11265912.indd 5824/06/2020 09:50:03 PMIN TH E FR A M E Decorator Damien Langlois-Meurinne has given a historic Paris apartment new vibrancy with an elegant collection of art and design Words Ian Phillips Photography Stephan Julliard A R EN A / P a ris 59 AD_033_58-65_Arena_Paris_11265912.indd 5924/06/2020 09:50:22 PMNext >