THE POWER OF ART CAN SAVE THE OCEAN
Taking inspiration from the fascinating sunrises and sunsets by the sea, Anna Agapova and Oleg Klodt - the creative minds behind the luxury interiors brand O&A London, have unveiled this summer the Ocean Blush rug, a new addition that complements the Caledonia collection, launched last year in collaboration with Riviere Rugs.
The Ocean Blush Rug from the Caledonia Collection, Photo ⓒ Elena Tikhonova
Design: O&A London and Riviere Rugs
Inspired by the same impressive coastal landscapes, the Ocean rug features a striking flowing design, evoking the intricate undulations of the waves on the wet sand of the Scottish coastline.
Ocean Rug, Caledonia Collection, Photo ⓒ Elena Tikhonova
Design: O&A London and Riviere Rugs
This creative pursuit came to reinforce the wonderful environmental campaign “Save the Ocean” that the two studios launched together this year, to address the ocean plastic crisis, as well as save and preserve marine life.
To bring more attention to their initiative, the designers joined forces with artists Stacie McCormick and Valeria Nascimento, whose works are equally inspired by picturesque ocean landscapes. Stacie McCormick, a Los Angeles native who is currently based in London, often uses the ocean as a source of inspiration for her work. Her paintings have the depth, movement, and mystery of the ocean itself and display the rich combination of shoreline’s dusky blue and pink tones.
Painting: Stacie McCormick, Photo ⓒ Elena Tikhonova
Ocean Rug: O&A London and Riviere Rugs
Painting: Stacie McCormick, Photo ⓒ Elena Tikhonova
Ocean Rug: O&A London and Riviere Rugs
The elegant porcelain installations of the ceramist Valeria Nascimento - a calm evocation of the wavy shapes of corals and other natural forms, enhanced the coastal ambiance of the campaign photo shoot. Valeria’s beautiful artworks reflect the fragility of present-day marine life, nevertheless, they convey a powerful warning about its vulnerability.
Porcelain Installations: Valeria Nascimento
Ocean Rug: O&A London and Riviere Rugs
Photo ⓒ Elena Tikhonova
Porcelain Installations: Valeria Nascimento,
Ocean Rug: O&A London and Riviere Rugs
Photo ⓒ Elena Tikhonova
This creative collaboration aims to support organizations involved in the cleaning of the oceans and coastlines. Thus, 10% of every sale will be donated to these organizations to support their tremendous work and commitment to cleaning up the oceans.
One of such organizations is 4ocean who has amassed vast quantities of waste from the ocean shorelines from all over the world and developed a solid international infrastructure to fight the ocean plastic pollution. Fully dedicated to this cause, they implemented a successful business model to support their pursuit by creating the 4ocean bracelet. Every sold bracelet helps clean one pound of trash from the oceans and the seashores.
Inspiration behind ‘OCEAN’ Design, Photo ⓒ O&A London
“The world is changing and our views, as well as our spiritual and material focus, are changing with it. Today, it is simply not enough to just be involved in the design of sustainable products. We have reached the threshold where we need to do more.”
Oleg Klodt, the architect and O&A London Co-founder
“ The ocean acts as a limitless source of inspiration for many designers and artists. I’ve been around the ocean my entire life. I always loved swimming, yachting, and contemplating the power and beauty of the ocean: it became the inspiration behind many of my designs. But today this source of life is in great danger. It is time to set the ‘art for the sake of art’ principle aside and start paying back. We think that nowadays design collaborations can influence the industry and, moreover, have a social and environmental impact. Our strategy is to show, that beauty can at least try to save the world.”
Anna Agapova, Creative Director at O&A London
Porcelain Installations: Valeria Nascimento, Ocean Rug: O&A London & Riviere Rugs, Photo ⓒ Elena Tikhonova
All rugs are handmade in Nepal from natural fibers such as wool and silk, using an old traditional weaving technique and can be custom-made in terms of colour, size, and shape.