Pomme Chan’s career in art spans over 16 years. After completing her degree in interior design at Silapakorn University and a stint as a graphic designer, the young lady furthered her studies at the London College. In the end, she spent 10 years in the UK honing her design and artistic skills with leading brands before heading back to Thailand.
Taking inspiration from everyday observations, Pomme created illustrations that soon became her unique signature. “People say that my work has a distinctive style, which I think is down to the hand-drawn technique I use to create playful illustrations. Personally, I don’t believe in a fixed style. I believe that design has to be uninhibited. Art has to have the freedom to grow into its various forms.”
Today the artist runs her own studio, Happy Pomme. “Working in my own space with my own team is very fulfilling. We collaborate on illustrations and everyone has a stake. Everyone has a say, not only in the commercial work we undertake but also in the personal art projects we tackle. By collaborating we produce our best work.”
It is from these personal projects that Pomme created Swoon, her very own furniture brand. “I wanted to apply my illustrations to furniture. I believe in breaking conventions and reinterpreting the mundane to generate new creations,” she explains, adding that these new interpretations allow art to breathe new life into products by creating a unique character.
“Having worked with brands as an artist, I realise the importance of cooperation. Consumers today are very sophisticated. They don’t just want a stoic, static brand. They want something new, a sub-culture within the main culture of a brand to spruce up its resonance. Hublot’s collaboration with Orlinski is a great example of this. Reinterpreting Orlinski’s large scale sculptures into something as exquisitely intricate as a luxury watch is an outstanding achievement.”
Pomme also recognises that collaboration is not simply about putting a design to a product. “I guess that Hublot gave Orlinski a lot of freedom to work. A lot of research must have been done to experiment with the designs and materials. The result is a perfect blend of Orlinski’s signature style and Hublot’s outstanding technical character. This opens up opportunities for Orlinski and Hublot because the essence of both are expressed in a unique way that appeals to today’s sophisticated customer.”
Go behind the scenes of this three-part story’s photoshoot:
