As soon as you walk into the Long-Island-City studio of Nancy Lorenz, you feel that strong Japanese aesthetic sensibility. You can breath it In every corner. Her luminous installations, inspired by traditional Japanese lacquer, and crafted in gesso, lacquer, and gilding have been known for years to anyone visiting the boutiques of Chanel and Gucci across the globes. They have become integral to the dazzling ensembles crafted by Peter Marino. In fact, the list of interior designers who have worked with Lorenz is long and includes some of the leading names in this world. In her introduction to the studio visit this morning, Lorenz spoke about her early years in Japan, where she got the inspiration to do what she does, and on starting her career in lacquer restoration, where she gained a deep understanding of the material and traditional technique, which she was to reinvented later on. The most fascinating aspect about her work is the way she has succeeded to translate those traditions into a wholly new craft, taking her art into new horizons, and paving her name in the world of design, with unique and personal expression. It is particularly stunning in the light of the fact that the Japanese craftsmanship industry is still struggling in breaking into taste and market of the West, for almost two hundred years. Lorenz’s recent solo exhibition at the San Diego Museum of Art, ‘Nancy Lorenz: Moon Gold,’ will be traveling to the Berkshire Botanical Garden in June and will include new work in Bronze, which is as surprising and fresh as anything she does. Thank you, Nancy Lorenz for hosting my group at your studio.
Chanel: Cost Mesa, South Coast Plaza, 2014
