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Eldvarm Encounters

Philip Howlett's Imaginative Assemblages

Published on 5 April 2024

Philip Howlett's Imaginative Assemblages
In addition to his role as an interior designer Philip Howlett, one of the creative minds behind Herringbone Design, is also a talented artist. His imaginative assemblage pieces, using a variety of found objects, stand out for their playful and visually captivating nature. In this series he has used a wide array of Eldvarm products. In our recent Eldvarm Encounter with Philip, we delved into his artistic journey, exploring the inspirations that fuel his creativity and the unique processes that shape his work. We loved his artwork so much we felt they needed to be showcased in their own right. Join us in finding out a little more about his creative journey and how he came up with his wonderfully eccentric and highly original assemblage project, featuring Eldvarm products in the most unexpected and joyful of ways.

Could you tell us a little about what sparked the assemblages project?

Last year I reunited with a childhood friend after more than thirty years. It was kind of like meeting myself again at age thirteen, but without all the teenage angst, and dubious self-awareness. After our meeting I spontaneously sent my friend a small assemblage as a thank you, and that simple gesture planted the seed for a wider exploration.

How do you go about creating an assemblage piece?

I'm lucky, because as designers we have collected many interesting objects over the years that lend themselves beautifully to my "Archetypal Portraits." In their creation, the focus is always on discovering the unique relationships of shape and form, and on allowing whatever character wants to emerge, to emerge from the sea of random objects. I then document each piece photographically, and swiftly break them down. I find the ephemeral nature quite thrilling as it doesn't allow me to overwork things endlessly and encourages a real instinctual spontaneity.

What is it about this way of creating that you like?

I love the exploration of the relationship between these objects, the conversations between the bits and bobs from around the house, including Eldvarm products. These familiar objects quickly become unfamiliar – and then familiar again as they are assembled as the faces of humanity. It's a wonderful workout for the muscles of observation, intuition and invention.

Which is your favourite Eldvarm product to use for these assemblages?

My number one go-to is the Emma Brush!

If you haven't already, you can read our previous Eldvarm Encounter with Phillip Howlett here to discover more about his interior design work. Herringbone Design has worked on projects all around the world. Find out more about their services here and be sure to follow along on Instagram for plenty of design inspiration.