Grant-Noren

"We go forward from a thread of tradition with fresh instinct in our contemporary works. We aim to expand and excite the definition of furniture."

Ingela Noren and Daniel Grant are the inheritors of a Scandinavian tradition. The early craftsmen who developed their method of "faux finishing" reproduced exotic stones and wood on furniture and building interiors. Over the centuries, perfect representation became less important than artistry and originality.

All of Noren and Grant's works are hand painted on wood. As taught by an old master in Stockholm, they first apply an underlayer of sealing stain or paint. They then mix pigment with a milk-based emulsion, creating glazes that they apply and manipulate with a diverse set of tools. There are metal and rubber combs, many-headed brushes for creating grain and veins, rags, sponges, stippling brushes, and even their own fists and fingers. At the end, a final varnish is applied to protect the work and impart a commanding sheen.

Noren and Grant's partnership began in 1986 in Pietrasanta, Italy, where they worked as marble sculptors. Ingela Noren, a renowned weaver, studied art and craft in Sweden, her native country, including faux finish techniques. Daniel Grant, a skilled and professional marble sculptor and painter, studied art and philosophy in California. He made custom furniture and cabinets before joining Noren in their combined artistic venture in 1994.