Making the essence of her objects visible is what Claudia Girbau has always wanted. Regarding her passion for flower art, Ikebana, the PINASAAN designer presents at RI HOUSE a series of metal vases carefully handcrafted between Milan and Barcelona. In combination with seasonal flowers, these pieces, made of brass and aluminum, explore the balance between opposites: the perennial and the ephemeral, simplicity and luxury, fragility versus force. Graduated in fashion from Central Saint Martins, she began working in product design while pursuing a master’s degree at the Royal College of Art in London. Experimenting with metal since then, she combines his current work in fashion with the investigation of creative expression through the multidisciplinary organization of work.
TOWARDS WHERE DOES THE JOURNEY OF PINASSAN GO?
I would rather consider it more like a stop on a trip. I like that PINASAAN is a collection of numbered pieces that can be understood on their own, not necessarily linked to a moment in time or a particular context.
HOW DID YOU STUMBLE UPON IKEBANA ART?
I have been fortunate to have been exposed to Japanese culture quite often while growing up. I remember wonderful discoveries at home like Shozo Sato’s book, The Art of Arranging Flowers.
A FLOWER?
The Forsythia, the streets of Milan are filled with them at the beginning of spring. They are free and super pretty.
WHAT IS YOUR SPACE LIKE, THE SPACE YOU LOVE?
I have lived in 4 different cities in the last 6 years, my space for now is very minimalist and easily transportable. Every time I find it more difficult to surround myself with objects that do not have a history and a special value for me.
WHAT SOUNDS AND AROMAS SURROUND YOU IN YOUR STUDIO-HOME?
Although Milan may seem very industrial, my studio overlooks one of the many interior gardens that are this city’s treasures. In spring jasmine smells strongly and you can hear birds almost all year round.
DO YOU FIND CREATIVITY IN CHAOS OR ORDER?
Mostly in other people’s chaos. The creative process behind these pieces begins as a reaction to the chaotic excess we produce as a species. The first prototypes I made at the university were with metal pieces that other students threw away. I took what was no longer useful to them and looked for a way to turn it into something beautiful.