Our latest collaboration is with Norwegian artist Magnus Gjoen, whose work fuses a fine art approach with a street and pop aesthetic. Gjoen’s pieces draw on history and allusion, using existing artworks or fragments from the past to create a fresh, unique contemporary aesthetic. Working with us, Gjoen has created a collection of six contemporary wallpapers from his original artworks. Each of the wallpapers offer a modern spin on old masterpieces or manipulate powerful and strong objects into something fragile yet beautiful.
We’re delighted to be working with Magnus. His artistic vision – bringing together classical motifs with a modern aesthetic – is perfectly suited to both modern and period homes and each piece comes laced with a intelligent, wry humour. Discover the The FEATHR x Magnus Gjoen wallpaper collection – and read on for the artistic story behind each piece.
‘Flower Bomb’ wallpaper
The ‘Flower Bomb’ wallpaper brings a touch of black humour to the formality of a Georgian striped wallpaper. The design remixes a stylised bomb with classical motifs and in doing so reminds the viewer that the extremes of human existence – love and hate, war and peace, light and darkness – so often go hand in hand. Flower Bomb is available in a classical colour palette of Sage, Pewter, Oat and Oxford Blue. In Sage, the earthy green colour is offset by an on trend blush stripe, a colour that pulls through to the stripe in the soft grey of the Pewter colour variant. The warmth of the Oat colourway is deepened by the sage green stripe running through it, whilst Oxford Blue mixes a dreamy combination of deep blues and burnt red.
Shop >> Flower Bomb floral bomb wallpaper
Flower Bomb in Sage and Oat /// Image credit: Andreas von Einseidel/Alamy
Flower Bomb in Sage (detail)
‘You Don’t Find the Light by Avoiding the Darkness’ wallpaper
In ‘You Don’t Find Light’, Gjoen utilizes his trademark juxtaposition of classical painting with masculine motifs. The centrepiece motif of the wallpaper is formed of two alert Dobermann Pinschers facing each other, linked by a chain and key. Oil painted florals soften the profiles of the Dobermanns, whilst the linear structure of the design brings continuity and restraint to their poised power. The nobility of the Dobermanns is matched by its country house inspired colour range. Colours include the vintage oat white of Cotswold, the deep formal tones of Prussian Blue, the warm mineral gray of Granite, classic verdant sage of Hunter’s Green and the playful lilac of Parlour Plum.
Shop >> You Don’t Find the Light by Avoiding the Darkness floral dog pattern wallpaper
You Don’t Find Light by Avoiding the Darkness in Cotswold /// Image credit: Andreas von Einseidel/Alamy
You Don’t Find Light by Avoiding the Darkness in Hunter’s Green /// Image credit: Andreas von Einseidel/Alamy
You Don’t Find Light by Avoiding the Darkness in Prussian Blue (detail)
‘A Beautiful Thing is Never Perfect’ wallpaper
In the ‘A Beautiful Thing is Never Perfect’ wallpaper, Gjoen uses the Baroque method of representing the cycle of life by interlacing vibrant blooms with hints of decay. This maximalist striped design features roses, geberas, butterflies and snails entwined around beflowered skulls hidden amongst the undergrowth. One skull sits atop the floral pattern, the other hides within, creating a dimensional rhythm within the wallpaper. ‘A Beautiful Thing is Never Perfect’ is available in Original and Monochrome, with its intense palette of deep reds, teal blues and sage greens making it an ideal choice for bohemian, luxury interiors.
Shop >> A Beautiful Thing is Never Perfect bohemian stripe skull wallpaper
A Beautiful Thing is Never Perfect /// Image credit: Andreas von Einseidel/Alamy
A Beautiful Thing is Never Perfect in Original (detail)
‘No Use Crying For Roses When Forests Are Burning’ wallpaper
Inspired by maximalist traditions ranging from the Arts & Craft movement through to Venetian Rococo and Babylonian frescoes, the ‘No Use Crying For Roses When Forests Are Burning’ wallpaper uses toned stripes to create a formal structure from a lush medley of oil-painted florals. Rendered in the colours of the earth and evening – Cardamom, Lapis Blue and Saffron – No Use Crying for Roses is a wallpaper to bring intensity and drama into a room. The colours of ‘No Crying for Roses’ reflect the maximalist traditions of its inspiration – in Cardamom, soft nut browns and teal greens recall the landscapes of the Middle East; the vibrant rose hues of Saffron echo with the intensity of a spice market; the azure blues of Lapis Blue directly recall the deep blues found on the famed Ishtar gate.
Shop >> No Use Crying For Roses When Forests Are Burning maximalist floral wallpaper
No Use Crying for Roses wallpaper in Cardamom in a baroque hallway /// Image credit: Andreas von Einseidel/Alamy
No Use Crying for Roses wallpaper in Cardamom (detail)
‘Victory Over Ignorance’ wallpaper
Gjoen’s artworks often use juxtaposition to manipulate powerful objects into something more fragile. In ‘Victory Over Ignorance’, ochre stripes, recalling the bars of the border wall between the USA and Mexico, are set against a rich tangle of flora and fauna. The trompe l’oeil effect and interaction between the stripes and florals brings the viewer to question what is restrained and what is free, and where real power lies. Victory Over Ignorance is available in a single striking colourway of Ochre, with its burnt red dimensional stripes complementing the soft grey monochromes of the floral background.
Shop >> Happy Nations Have No History floral stripe wallpaper
Victory Over Ignorance wallpaper in a designer hallway /// Image credit: Andreas von Einseidel/Alamy
Victory Over Ignorance wallpaper (detail)
Tom Puukko founder at FEATHR, commented, “We fell in love with Magnus’ work the second we saw it. His mixing of contemporary imagery and fine art techniques challenges the notion of what can be made into art – which fits perfectly with our mission of more art and less decoration.”
Magnus Gjoen commented, “I am always interested in creating work that actually takes part in people’s lives and is not stored away and rarely seen. With my artworks and sculptures, I aim to create elements that evoke reactions from the viewers and also transport a certain feeling. I try to create a conversation with onlookers and what they see and evoke new ideas. This collaboration with Feathr is a perfect alignment with my work, bringing contemporary twists to tired interiors.”
The FEATHR x Magnus Gjoen wallpaper collection is available on 50cm x 10m rolls, starting from £129/€149/$169 per roll. The collection is available on range of materials suitable for residential and commercial projects, including non-woven, textile and metallic wallcoverings. All designs are available exclusively from FEATHR at www.feathr.com or via the FEATHR retail network
