Mat Kubaj’s new studio in Warsaw’s Żoliborz district creates a place of tranquil character, where natural materials and frugal forms create an atmosphere conducive to creative work. The interior was created to combine art, design and craftsmanship, and its composition is based on noble structures and calm colours.
The studio is housed in a 1920s townhouse. Upon crossing the threshold, a hand-painted fabric of over six metres in length made with Japanese ink appears. Its softness introduces an atmosphere of tranquillity. The tall, almost three-metre-high interior with its characteristic slants is filled with light moving across the rough surfaces. The exposed concrete floor reveals fragments of old layers and details that bear witness to the building’s history. The preserved bricks and tiles from the 1920s create a record of past phases in the building’s life, which became an important element of the designer’s concept.
The walls are covered in five tones of grey applied in layers. The washed surface resembles a painterly composition and harmonises with the concrete floor. It is the backdrop for objects with a strong character. In the studio, there was a painting by Mat Kubaj executed on raw linen, which creates a subtle play of gesture and texture. A Murano lamp from the 1980s by Lino Tagliapietra was placed in the central area. Its diffused light brings softness to the interior.
In the Object Collection, the sculpture ‘MOLT’ by Charles Squeeze set on a dark stone appears. Its circular form evokes a rhythmic order and a contemplative mood. Also among the furnishings was a centuries-old amphora from India from Thymka Studio. Formerly used to store grain, it now serves as a decorative and symbolic accent. A massive black bench made from a single piece of wood was placed next to it, along with chrome accessories in the form of a table and modular STOFF Nagel candle holders.
The epoxy-protected concrete floor tidies up the arrangement and enhances its minimal expression. The warm light from the lamps enhances the textures and creates an atmosphere conducive to concentration. Further on, there is a dark space designed for painting work. Mat Kubaj uses Japanese ink there and treats this part of the studio as an intimate place for creative action, where gesture and matter co-create the painting.
The studio in Żoliborz presents Mat Kubaj’s approach based on the simplicity of materials and careful observation of their structure. The interior becomes a space in which the artist can work in concentration, taking advantage of the calm and thoughtful environment.
Project: Mat Kubaj
Photographs: Resource Studio
The photos were created in collaboration with the Omnires brand.
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