We are excited about our latest design collaboration with sculptor and painter, Margit Wittig. After studying sculpture and stone carving at the Sculpture Academy as well as metal work at Central Saint Martins, Margit launched in 2010, designing and making contemporary bespoke lighting and furniture.

To celebrate the launch of the hand-embroidered Silhouettes Burnt Orange and Vivid Silhouette cushions, we asked Margit a few questions about her work, her influences, and, of course, the new designs.

As an artist, where do you find inspiration for your work?

I am of course inspired by the endless colour combinations and textures found in nature, such as patches of flowers, tree bark and seasonal shifts. A key textural inspiration is the sculptor Giacometti and his stark, totemic works where each impression of his gestures is cast permanently, playing with depth and light. The landscapes of the painter Ivon Hitchens, with their streaks and dabs and suggestions of place and space, are additional influences along with the jewellery of Elsa Schiaparelli (and her button collaboration with Giacometti) which have shaped my aesthetics and curatorial choices.

How does your work come to life? Do you sketch with pen and paper, paint, or work digitally?

I’m often sketching on the closest piece of paper I can find to grab an idea in motion, and I play with combinations of materials and components that have gathered over time in the studio. Bespoke requests can sometimes spark new ideas as well.

How did your relationship with Fine Cell Work come about?

Working with Firmdale Hotels many years ago made me think I’d like to design a cushion and I had always admired the variety and ethos of the work done by Fine Cell Work so it was a collaboration waiting to happen. I first made contact at the time of the Fine Cell Work exhibition Human Touch. The exhibition was showing the collaboration between contemporary artists and prisoners on unique artworks - it was stunning and very inspiring.

Can you talk a little about the process of collaborating with Fine Cell Work. Was this your first experience of designing for textiles?

It was the first time designing a product in the Margit Wittig style but I have worked with textiles my whole life as my mother was a textiles teacher which she inherited from her mother. I find both textiles and sculpting to be intertwined practices in their tactile and weighty nature so the translation of designs from three dimensions to two was easy; the hard part was choosing the colour combinations as there are too many beautiful options!

How do the cushions you’ve designed for Fine Cell Work fit into the rest of your Silhouettes collection?

The Silhouette table lamp was the idea for the pattern. On the cushion the half-circles and the pearls (spheres) echo the lamp and the hand-drawn element of the design alludes to the textured surfaces which adds movement through its organic feel. 

How did you feel when you saw the stitchers’ finished work?

I was over the moon! Every element had been laboured over, going back and forth with the Fine Cell Work team, so to see it come to fruition was stunning; the quality of the fabric and printing was brilliant and the highlight was without a doubt the stitching itself. Thank you greatly to all who participated!

Head to the website to shop the Margit Wittig x Fine Cell Work collaboration. 

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