Life and Crafts

Workwear-inspired styles from Uniqlo U. In David’s studio, earth tones like beige and brown are right at home.

A sunlit desk is David’s base of operations. Chisel in hand, he cuts through the linoleum, working from the outline to the smallest details.

An imperfect beauty, somewhere between analog and digital

In a modern reinterpretation of the classic woodcut print, artist David Schmitt focuses on the small beauties of daily life. His work, plainspoken with a touch of warmth, has won a growing number of fans on social media. On a visit to his shared studio space in Barcelona, David looked up from the linocut print that he was making for this issue’s cover and greeted us with a smile. “Welcome.” These prints are often associated with Pablo Picasso, another artist with a connection to Barcelona, who created linocuts later in life.

Working with familiar and universal motifs, such as figures, animals, and flowers, David’s minimalist forms and colors are complemented by simple yet profound English messages. His worlds evoke a tender vision and a sense of yearning that transcends time. “My themes engage with what it means to be alive, the things we’re always grappling with as human beings. At first, they may look simplistic or universal, but I like to think they hold a deeper secret.” David describes the cover he made especially for this issue as “a distillation of my current style.” From birds and people listening to music to clothes taking on plantlike forms, his lively creations are rooted in the everyday. Although known for working in black and beige, this print incorporates dark blue and white, lending it a modern flair.

David creates about ten prints by hand for each of his pieces. Minute differences among the prints shed light on the work’s unique character.

David calls this outfit’s use of greens “refreshing.” Styled here with a cap, his usual look.

David moved to Barcelona two years ago, drawn by the town’s bustling community and bohemian atmosphere. Set up in his high-ceilinged studio, bathed in sunlight all day long, David pours his heart into his work. “I try to approach art with a childlike curiosity and a sense of balance, conceptually and aesthetically. I’m particular about materials and methods and want to bring a lot of different perspectives into the work. Lately I’ve been having fun experimenting with ceramics.”

As a self-taught painter and printer, he doesn’t feel held back by conventions. An example of this is his unique process, which blends the analog and the digital. “I draw the designs digitally, print them out, and transfer them onto linoleum, then carefully carve them out. The handmade prints get scanned, so I can edit the colors and textures digitally,” David explains. Utilizing different tools as needed speeds him up, allowing him to bring more of his rich store of ideas to life.

“The small mistakes in analog works connect more with people than digital precision. Imperfections are human and a prerequisite for beauty.” Art is part of our daily lives. David’s work exudes humanity, reminding us of the small hopes of a way of life all too easily forgotten.

A wall adorned with prints David has made over the past three years. Natural materials like burlap and sand help him get the proper textures.

“I tend to wear a lot of men’s clothes,” says Carina, dressed in a chic black ensemble from Uniqlo U.

“When I was little, I had a friend whose father was Japanese, which gave me a chance to connect with aspects of that culture,” says Carina. The philosophy of Mingei, a folk movement influenced by Japanese ceramics, is another major pillar propping up Carina’s work.

It’s the imbalanced parts that have the most vitality.

Riding a fine line between glass artisan and designer, Carina Seth Andersson is a strong presence in the world of Swedish design. Her base of operations is a former factory once used by the ceramics maker Gustavsberg, whose history goes back two centuries. Carina spends her mornings making ceramics and her afternoons on three-dimensional sketches cut from paper. Meanwhile, she works on art pieces in a glass workshop downstairs from her studio, creating hand-blown glass with artisans. “Since I grasp things in terms of proportion, form and scale, my mental image of what I want to make is often very clear,” she says. Rather than drawing, she refines her forms by cutting shapes from paper, an analog technique that gives her ideas physicality.

Carina’s glass pieces and tableware feature clean and timeless forms and colors, striving for beautiful functionality. Their pared-down expressivity and dignified aesthetic have the warmth of handmade work. “Even the most stringently inhibited designs will have some kind of catch, something that’s out of balance. It’s no good trying to eliminate all traces of uneasiness. Those parts have the most vitality.”

Her philosophy of embracing “minor variations” over strict perfection is evident in her personality. Behind her minimalist presentation is an innocence that's apparent when she plays with her pet dog, Ru, or in the unaffected way she wipes up spilled tea with the hem of her jacket. Just like her work, Carina’s personality gives off a natural warmth.

Carina says she favors clothes that are both dignified and comforting. “Uniqlo U’s simple items are just what I need for workwear.”

At the studio, sketching on paper and scoring clay. Carina is always juggling product designs and art pieces.

Carina has partnered with many of the Nordic region’s top brands. A longtime collaborator of Marimekko and Svenskt Tenn, she has designed vases and textiles that have become standard items for each brand. The premier maker of glass products in Sweden is Skrufs, a glassworks located in the Småland area of southern Sweden. This is where Svenskt Tenn has their vases made. Founded in 1897, they’re still making hand-blown glass in the traditional way. Part of what makes in-house design work so enjoyable for Carina is her deep respect for the creation of everyday items and the skilled, knowledgeable artisans who make them.

“To create something classic that transcends the moment, you have to take your time. It goes beyond sustainable materials; the design itself needs to be sustainable. Things made with care become old favorites, while hastily produced things have a short life and are soon forgotten.”

That’s why Carina gives her unsparing attention to her work, opting to make things by hand. As a result, the glass pieces and tableware that she creates become a part of people’s lives, showing their beauty with age.