Masks by James Merry is nominated to the Icelandic Design Awards 2024
Masks by designer and visual artist James Merry is nominated as Project of the year to the Icelandic Design Awards 2024. The award ceremony will take place in Gróska on November 7th.
From the jury:
The masks by James Merry are beautiful examples of a deep and multi-layered aesthetic rooted in the ancient craft of embroidery.
As with embroidery, masks have played important roles in cultural history, often to distinguish a person or an artist from a fictitious character. It is therefore appropriate that James Merry has found his role in cooperation with other artists. His masks make up a fascinating historical context of craftsmanship and culture that uniquely speaks to the subconscious. They contain an amalgamation of mystical and magical worlds, the worlds of poetry and fantasy, woven together in the threads of history.
James Merry has developed unique materials for the masks while playing with the possibilities of a variety of raw materials, metals, silicone, and 3D plastic. The newest chapter in the masks’ story is digital. With this, Merry adds to the project's ambiguity and puts his creations into a new context of digital fashion, making the work more accessible to the public at large.
About:
James Merry is a visual artist from the UK, now based in Iceland. He is primarily known for his hand embroidery and mask-making, and as a frequent collaborator with Björk on her visual output. He has collaborated with institutions such as the V&A, Gucci, The Royal School of Needlework, Tim Walker, Tilda Swinton and Iris Van Herpen.
The Icelandic Design Awards will take place in Gróska on November 7th - save the date! Stay tuned as we will be announcing the nominations in the upcoming days.
The Icelandic Design Award honours the best Icelandic design and architecture. The importance of design in our society, culture and business has been growing steadily, and it is therefore vital to increase the understanding of good design and highlight the value of quality.
The Icelandic Design Award is awarded in three categories: Product // Place // Project. In addition, the Icelandic Design Awards also include Honorary award and Recognition for the best investment in design.
The Icelandic Design Award is established by Iceland Design and Architecture in collaboration with the Iceland University of the Arts, the Museum of Design and Applied Art, Promote Iceland, The Housing and Construction Authorities of Iceland, SI - the Federation of Icelandic Industries, The University of Iceland Science Park and Gróska.
