It’s an unusual sight to see a carousel encrusted in 15 million Swarovski crystals against a quiet Austrian countryside. Called Carousel, the permanent installation at Swarovski’s Kristallwelten is unusual in other ways too - Jaime Hayon created fictional black and white characters in a modern style to replace the horses that are traditional to carousels. “The Carousel provokes feelings of freedom and joy - it is an art piece in movement and a place where imagination starts,” said Hayon.
Born in Madrid in 1974, Jaime Hayon was passionate about skateboard culture and graffiti art. These influences are easily found in his whimsical and punchy works. After his studies in Madrid and Paris for industrial design, he joined Fabrica in 1997. In less than 10 years, Jaime broke out on his own and began his journey as a designer, first with designer toys, ceramics and furniture.
Times magazine included Jaime Hayon as one of the 100 most relevant creators of our times
To the uninitiated, it is a bit confusing whilst researching about the famed Spanish designer - he has been described as having baroque, minimal decorative, neo-surrealist and surrealist styles. But Hayon, 46, can’t even explain his style "Give me a break—I'm just myself, doing my own work." Instead, if we look comprehensive at his comprehensive work - from functional items such as cabinetry or a couch, to sculptures and installations, you see a common narrative, not defined by style, rather by concept.
Medium Conversation Vase, a limited edition creation by Jaime Hayon
Jaime Hayon takes the fairy-tale world inside his head and translates it into the designs we know and love. This blurs the line between what is art and what is a product - and his ideas continue to amaze and cheer up collectors and viewers alike. Times magazine included Hayon as one of the 100 most relevant creators of our times and Wallpaper magazine has listed him as one of the most influential creators of the last decade.
Jaime Hayon has worked with Lladró in multiple projects, as he finds porcelain to be a great platform to execute his ideas on, and that Lladró has the technical skills required to bring his designs to life accurately. The collaboration is also mutually beneficial for Lladró as the brand has been progressively moved into more modern designs in the past decade.
"It is absolutely telenovela," Hayon said, laughing. "When I go into the Lladró archive, it's like an Almodóvar movie, with the man looking this way, and the horse looking that way. It's fun. The figures are really sculptural and really beautiful. I played around with them in a decorative way, so you're like whaaaaaah!"
The Guest Limited Series by Jaime Hayon
Jaime’s The Guest is playful, with an asymmetrical take on the details. Both “ears“ have opposing details, both “eyes“ are different. The details on this piece, together with the modern colour way of gold, white, black and yellow makes it easy to use in any space, non-intrusive in the aesthetic of your space, until one looks closer at it, just like how any Jaime Hayon piece should be.
The Fantasy Collection by Jaime Hayon
The Fantasy Collection is the cumulation of Lladró’s classic style and Jaime Hayon’s playful sense of fantasy. Loosely playing with the theme of Love, Jaime Hayon designed a character, Lover, and the many scenes of his journey of love, made permanent by the sculptures of this collection.
Jaime’s fictional character Lover, in the many scenes of his journey of love.
Conversation Vases by Jaime Hayon
Like all the pieces in Jaime Hayon's The Fantasy Collection, this creation arises from the fusion of a theme: love and the playful sense and fantasy that the Spanish creative Jaime Hayon brings to his designs. With elegance and carefree attitude, love inspires this innovative vase in which the faces that decorate each of the faces have a mysterious conversation between them. It’s very Alice in Wonderland, and like how a deck of cards has 4 suits, the Conversation Vases each has 4 faces, each with a distinct personality and expression. A piece that will definitely create conversations at every dinner party you host!
