Backstage with
Artist / Designer
STELIOS MOUSARRIS
TODAY, WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE WITH US STELIOS MOUSARRIS, THE VISIONARY DESIGNER AND FOUNDER OF MOUSARRIS, A COMPANY RENOWNED FOR PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF IMAGINATION IN THE WORLD OF CONCEPTUAL FURNITURE. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2015, MOUSARRIS HAS CAPTIVATED GLOBAL AUDIENCES WITH ITS UNIQUE BLEND OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND HANDCRAFTED TECHNIQUES, RESULTING IN ONE-OF-A-KIND PIECES THAT ARE AS MUCH WORKS OF ART AS THEY ARE FUNCTIONAL FURNITURE. WITH A PERMANENT COLLECTION SHOWCASED AT THE LOUVRE’S 21ST CENTURY DESIGN WING AND FEATURES IN OVER 40 DESIGN MAGAZINES, STELIOS’S WORK HAS TRULY MADE AN INDELIBLE MARK ON THE WORLD OF DESIGN.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START MOUSARRIS IN 2015, AND HOW HAS YOUR VISION EVOLVED SINCE THEN?
I WAS INSPIRED TO START MOUSARRIS IN 2015 AFTER GAINING VALUABLE EXPERIENCE AND DEVELOPING A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON FURNITURE DESIGN. MY AIM WAS TO CREATE PIECES THAT BLEND FUNCTIONALITY WITH ARTISTIC EXPRESSION. OVER TIME, MY VISION HAS EVOLVED TO INCORPORATE MORE SOPHISTICATED TECHNIQUES AND A DEEPER EXPLORATION OF THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN ART AND FURNITURE, CONTINUALLY PUSHING THE ENVELOPE IN TERMS OF CREATIVITY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS FROM CONCEPTUALIZATION TO THE FINAL PRODUCT?
MY CREATIVE PROCESS BEGINS WITH A SPARK OF INSPIRATION, OFTEN DRAWN FROM MY SURROUNDINGS OR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. I START WITH SKETCHING AND DIGITAL MODELING TO REFINE THE IDEA. THE DESIGN THEN TRANSITIONS INTO PROTOTYPING, WHERE I TEST MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES. FINALLY, THE PRODUCT IS METICULOUSLY CRAFTED, BALANCING MODERN TECHNOLOGY WITH TRADITIONAL HANDCRAFTING TO ENSURE BOTH INNOVATION AND QUALITY.
“UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON FURNITURE DESIGN”
HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE USE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY AND TRADITIONAL HANDCRAFTING TECHNIQUES IN YOUR DESIGNS?
I STRIKE A BALANCE BY INTEGRATING MODERN TECHNOLOGIES LIKE 3D PRINTING AND DIGITAL MODELING WITH TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING AND METALWORKING TECHNIQUES. THIS FUSION ALLOWS ME TO ACHIEVE COMPLEX FORMS AND PRECISE DETAILS WHILE MAINTAINING THE TACTILE QUALITY AND UNIQUENESS THAT COMES FROM HANDCRAFTING.
“CREATING A CHAIR THAT DEFIES CONVENTIONAL”
YOU HAVE A VERY INTERESTING PIECE “CARPET CHAIR”, CAN YOU GUIDE US THROUGH THE CREATIVE PROCESS?
THE CARPET CHAIR WAS CONCEPTUALIZED AS A BLEND OF WHIMSY AND FUNCTIONALITY. THE PROCESS BEGAN WITH THE IDEA OF CREATING A CHAIR THAT DEFIES CONVENTIONAL FORMS, INSPIRED BY THE MAGICAL ELEMENT OF A FLYING CARPET. DIGITAL MODELING HELPED VISUALIZE THE COMPLEX CURVES, AND CAREFUL MATERIAL SELECTION ENSURED BOTH AESTHETIC APPEAL AND STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY. THE FINAL PRODUCT WAS CRAFTED TO APPEAR AS IF A CARPET IS EFFORTLESSLY FLOATING, YET STURDY ENOUGH TO FUNCTION AS A CHAIR.
“MOTIVATION TO CONTINUE INNOVATING IN THE FIELD OF DESIGN”
YOUR WORK IS DISPLAYED IN THE LOUVRE’S 21ST-CENTURY DESIGN WING. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE YOUR CREATIONS RECOGNIZED ON SUCH A PRESTIGIOUS PLATFORM?
HAVING MY WORK DISPLAYED IN THE MUSEE DE ARTS DECORATIFS IS AN IMMENSE HONOR. IT VALIDATES MY EFFORTS AND CREATIVITY ON AN INTERNATIONAL SCALE, PROVIDING A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND MOTIVATION TO CONTINUE INNOVATING IN THE FIELD OF DESIGN.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT A SPECIFIC PIECE THAT HOLDS SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR YOU AND WHY?
ONE SIGNIFICANT PIECE FOR ME IS THE “WAVE CITY COFFEE TABLE.” THIS PIECE REPRESENTS A TURNING POINT IN MY CAREER, WHERE I SUCCESSFULLY MERGED MY PASSION FOR ARCHITECTURE AND MODELLING WITH FURNITURE DESIGN. INSPIRED BY THE WAVES, THE TABLE FEATURES A CITYSCAPE THAT BENDS AND CURVES, SHOWCASING MY IMAGINATIVE VISION.
HOW DO YOU ENSURE THE UNIQUENESS AND HIGH QUALITY OF EACH PIECE YOU PRODUCE?
I ENSURE UNIQUENESS AND HIGH QUALITY THROUGH METICULOUS ATTENTION TO DETAIL AT EVERY STAGE OF THE DESIGN AND PRODUCTION PROCESS. I EMPLOY A HANDS-ON APPROACH, FROM SELECTING THE FINEST MATERIALS TO OVERSEEING THE CRAFTSMANSHIP. EACH PIECE IS TREATED AS A WORK OF ART, ENSURING IT MEETS MY HIGH STANDARDS BEFORE IT IS DEEMED COMPLETE AND SHIPPED TO ITS NEW OWNER.
“CHALLENGING TRADITIONAL NOTIONS OF FUNCTION AND AESTHETICS”
WHAT ROLE DO YOU BELIEVE CONCEPTUAL FURNITURE PLAYS IN MODERN INTERIOR DESIGN, AND HOW DO YOU SEE THIS EVOLVING IN THE FUTURE?
CONCEPTUAL FURNITURE PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN MODERN INTERIOR DESIGN BY CHALLENGING TRADITIONAL NOTIONS OF FUNCTION AND AESTHETICS. IT SERVES AS BOTH A CONVERSATION PIECE AND A FUNCTIONAL OBJECT, PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF DESIGN. I SEE THIS TREND CONTINUING TO EVOLVE, WITH INCREASING EMPHASIS ON SUSTAINABILITY, CUSTOMIZATION, AND THE INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE EVEN MORE INNOVATIVE AND INTERACTIVE DESIGNS.
HOW HAS YOUR PRESENCE IN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN MAGAZINES AND BOOK PUBLICATIONS IMPACTED YOUR CAREER AND MOUSARRIS AS A BRAND?
BEING FEATURED IN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN MAGAZINES AND BOOK PUBLICATIONS HAS SIGNIFICANTLY BOOSTED MY CAREER AND BRAND RECOGNITION. IT HAS OPENED DOORS TO NEW MARKETS AND COLLABORATIONS, ENHANCED MY CREDIBILITY, AND ALLOWED A BROADER AUDIENCE TO APPRECIATE MY WORK. THIS EXPOSURE HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ESTABLISHING MOUSARRIS AS A PROMINENT NAME IN THE WORLD OF DESIGN.
STELIOS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR INCREDIBLE JOURNEY AND INSIGHTS WITH US TODAY. IT’S BEEN FASCINATING TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW MOUSARRIS CONTINUES TO REDEFINE THE POSSIBILITIES OF FURNITURE DESIGN. WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT BOUNDARY-PUSHING CREATIONS YOU COME UP WITH NEXT.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO USE URBAN LANDSCAPES, WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO THESE SURREALISTIC FORMS?
I AM DRAWN TO URBAN LANDSCAPES BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE A RICH SOURCE OF INSPIRATION THROUGH THEIR COMPLEXITY AND DYNAMISM. THE SURREALISTIC FORMS IN MY WORK OFTEN STEM FROM MY DESIRE TO REINTERPRET THE MUNDANE AND FAMILIAR IN UNEXPECTED WAYS, CREATING PIECES THAT EVOKE CURIOSITY AND WONDER. THIS APPROACH ALLOWS ME TO BLEND THE ARCHITECTURAL WITH THE FANTASTICAL, RESULTING IN TRULY UNIQUE AND IMAGINATIVE DESIGNS.
