DWELL ON DESIGN REPORT #1: LLADRO'S BRAVE NEW WORLD - "THE GUEST" -- When we visited the fabulous Dwell on Design show (sponsored by Dwell magazine) this past weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center, we were surprised at every turn! The three-day design celebration brought together more than 350 exhibitors from around the globe, showcasing all aspects of the modern lifestyle through exhibits and live talks and demonstrations -- and it was a chance to see a whole host of new businesses, products, services, plus works by artists and craftspeople working in an array of styles, with many utilizing green technology. So here is the first Studio of Style report (with more to follow over the coming weeks). No sooner had we stepped onto the exhibition hall floor, we were greeted by these fabulous porcelain figures by world-renowned Lladró of Spain. Called "The Guest," these figures grabbed our imagination immediately and we were in love! The company has been making their unique style of porcelain items since its founding in 1953 by brothers Juan, José and Vicente Lladró in Valencia -- and at the Dwell on Design show they introduced L.A. to these lovable characters by local and international artists Tim Biskup of Los Angeles; Jaime Hayon of Barcelona; and the Japanese art collective known as Devilrobots. The large figures (measuring 20.5" tall) are done in a limited edition of 250 (yes! so grab them now!) -- and the smaller figures measure 12" high. The Biskup figure (shown above with the skull shirt) has to be our favorite -- and the lower right-photo shows it being handpainted (as are all Lladró pieces). The lovely Cristina Egido who worked the company's booth at the Dwell on Design show gave us a complete tour of not only these pieces, but the other collections offered as well (The Parrot Party; The Estratos Collection; and The Naturofantastic Collection). And the Lladró booth was certainly a hit with fairgoers, sitting at the entrance to the exhibition hall, setting the artistic tone for the rest of the show. These colorful guest figures from Valencia can be our guests in L.A. any time!
http://dod.dwell.com/
http://www.lladro.com/porcelana/guest/
Images courtesy Lladró
