Absolutely Sussex chats to Giovanna Ticciati, founder and creative director of The Artisan Collab, to discover why such a thing was needed in Petworth
Can you tell us a little bit about your background in design Giovanna…
I have worked in a variety of creative industries. I began in art departments for film and video, then worked as a gilder and later with plaster. It was through a plaster commission I was asked to assist on the interior design of a project and enjoyed the variety of disciplines involved. My family background is in the arts and it is a world I love.
What originally inspired you to set up The Artisan Collab?
A friend was starting a business making furniture. He needed to display and position it with limited funds and I realised pooling resources would achieve infinitely more for anyone involved. Once the idea began all sorts of possibilities presented themselves. The Artisan Collab offers a shop front and PR to artisans, giving them more exposure than they could achieve alone and allowing them to focus on making.
The Artisan Collab is a membership model. The artisans pay a monthly or annual fee which, after only a few sales, leaves them substantially better off than if they were selling through a shop or gallery.
What is the ethos behind it?
The Artisan Collab’s tag line is ‘Beautiful Things’. This not only refers to the pieces themselves, but also to the light tread way they are made, the direct connection between patron and artist, and the enjoyment of the results.
What do you hope The Artisan Collab will show about the craftmanship behind designers?
The Artisan Collab tells the stories of the artisans and the pieces they make. Members are masters of their craft and passionate about what they do. They do not only design a piece and develop a process, they continually perfect both. Many are beginning with natural materials in a raw state, which can behave differently depending on how they have evolved or the conditions on the day. This deep understanding of the material is fundamental to the success and stability of the finished piece.
How have you sourced the artisans to be a part of this?
As a designer I have sought out and worked with artisans throughout my career. Some members I have bought or commissioned pieces from for projects and some are artisans whose work I show in the shop. There are others whose work I have admired but, because my shop is focused on interiors, I have not had the opportunity to work with until now. Others are newly found or introduced.
Could you pick out three who offer very different things?
Sia Taylor is a jeweller, Jeremy Pitts makes tree houses and wooden cabins, Kate Boxer is an artist and printmaker
What’s the newest products you have on offer in the shop?
The latest arrival in the shop is the Bibou Sofa, which is one of my designs.
What is the Young Creator Fellowship?
The Artisan Collab Young Creator Fellowship provides support and opportunity to an emerging talent. The Fellowship offers one year’s free membership to The Artisan Collab, providing a shop front, audience, selling platform and PR. The Artisan Collab members have a wealth of experience between them and can offer business advice, mentoring, opportunity for collaboration and studio visits. This is an annual award with entries welcomed between 1 January and the end of February.
Tell us about your shop in Petworth Giovanna…
The shop shows the in-house collection of furniture and lighting alongside a selection of art and antiques. It will also begin to show pieces from The Artisan Collab members. The studio is at the back of the shop which is where I spend most of my time.
How do you tend to work/create new pieces?
I usually design a piece because I cannot find the right thing for my house or a project. I begin with the function; I am interested in the elegance of movement so metrics play a large part at this stage and I will often make a full-scale model to try things out. Once I am happy with the dimensions I work on the design. My focus will be on the piece working well in the room I am designing it for, I am still not commercially minded so it is always nice to realise it might work in other spaces too! It is hard to say what influences me, it is probably a little bit of everything I see.
What do you love about being based in Petworth?
Petworth is an extraordinarily beautiful town with the House and Park, the Downs, vineyards and villages surrounding it. There are an incredible number of interesting, dynamic, wonderful people in and around Petworth and a great sense of community. I am quite a private person, but slowly it has woven its magic and I feel very honoured to be part of it.
What are your ambitions for The Artisan Collab?
I would like to harness the collective creativity of The Artisan Collab members to support young makers and artisan disciplines. The natural world is a fundamental part of The Artisan Collab, not only as a source of inspiration, but also as a raw material source and I am very interested in starting, or get involved in, an environmental project related to some of the materials used.
