THE GUEST, A BRAND ICON
One thing that you can claim without a shadow of a doubt is that The Guest is an icon of Lladró’s New Concept line. Its designer, Jaime Hayon, talks to us about the beginnings of this transcendental project, his vision, the initial steps, the challenges … An interview addressing the ambition and creative possibilities of porcelain in The Guest, an always unique and contemporary character.
I recall it as a time of frenetic activity but above all I remember exactly what I wanted to do. I had been working for several years in Hong Kong on the design of toys in vinyl and I was intrigued by the idea of customization and collecting. That’s why, from the first day I started to work with Lladró, I wanted to transfer that idea from vinyl to porcelain; to take the iconographic part of urban collectible toys to more traditional porcelain. I was really attracted to the idea, because it was a kind of experiment in mixing two different worlds, of seeing what would happen, what the result would be.
How did The Guest come about?
How did you arrive at this character?
I wanted it to reflect my world and so I gave it some of my gestures. It has the forms I draw, but at the same time I also envisaged a development of the straight lines of collectible toys, without a lot of gesturality but with strong graphics.
My idea was to look for a figurative object that would have a touch where you would notice the porcelain, realize that it was not that simple, that it had a subtle gesture that shows it is handcrafted and that it would be a little human but at once not. In other words, it would be a young boy but it wouldn’t be childlike, which is why it doesn’t have a face or eyes … the idea was for it to be somehow neutral. Those details were very important when it came to creating the object.
And the truth is that we were very happy right from the very first tests. There was something in the figure, an energy, that caused a great impression, and I believe that’s why it got off to such a fantastic start and has continued being such a great success.
What was it like translating the idea of the guest to porcelain?
It actually turned out to be really simple and rewarding because I discovered something that you only realize when you work with Lladró and which most people don’t know, and that is that every single figure is like the actor in a movie. Everything you do to it, however small, tells a story.
And it was no easy task because Lladró sculptors always pay such close attention to the face, which is normally so important for the expressiveness of a figure. A smile, a wink, or eyes looking up or down can change the message you wish to convey. So when I said to them “don’t gave it a face” the response from the Lladró team was so interesting. They were shocked, but I didn’t want a face because the idea is that everybody would give it their own face. And though at first it sounded a little crazy I think that in the end it is what gives the figure such strength. It is all about simplicity.
‘‘SOMETIMES IT IS A QUESTION OF DOING LESS AND EXPLORING ONE THING IN GREATER DEPTH, MAKING IT MORE MEMORABLE.’’
Could you tell us more about the collaborations with other artists?
The initial concept was very clear, which was to offer variety in the same creation so that collectors would want to have more than just one. That’s why we had to ensure such wide creativity. And the best way to do that was through the intervention of different artists. In addition, we wanted to discover local artists, to give a voice to artists from different disciplines, to encourage the exchange of graphics.
The gestures are so important, and it has a lot to do with whether the fists are closed, whether it standing or reclining and so on. The pose can transmit a sense of defeat or of determination. That is why The Guest is such a proud character, a guest who wishes to stay, who looks at you like the artist wants it to look at you. A character that can express itself through the graphics of creatives from anywhere in the world. That is the strength it has and a strength that is destined to last a long time.
So I don’t really see the need to extend the family. The Guest could be bigger or smaller, but I don’t envisage a family with new characters. But if there were, they would be equally unique, they would say different things and tell other stories. The would be actors starring in another movie. Sometimes it is a question of doing less and exploring one thing in greater depth, making it more memorable. It is the only object that changes throughout its evolution. We shall see where it will take us, but one thing for sure is that it has a lot of surprises still in store for us.
The idea was to give an opportunity to other artists to express themselves, to do with The Guest whatever they felt like doing and for this reason it has a double meaning. On one hand, it enters your home as a guest, and on the other, the guest artist who intervenes in its creatively, who renders their vision and their own story.
Do you believe that The Guest could be expanded to other characters?
I think it’s perfect as it is, because the idea of repetition has made it a brand icon. Lots of people around the world identify it with the brand and look forward to finding out who the next guest artist will be.
THE GUEST, A BRAND ICON
One thing that you can claim without a shadow of a doubt is that The Guest is an icon of Lladró’s New Concept line. Its designer, Jaime Hayon, talks to us about the beginnings of this transcendental project, his vision, the initial steps, the challenges … An interview addressing the ambition and creative possibilities of porcelain in The Guest, an always unique and contemporary character.
How did The Guest come about?
I recall it as a time of frenetic activity but above all I remember exactly what I wanted to do. I had been working for several years in Hong Kong on the design of toys in vinyl and I was intrigued by the idea of customization and collecting. That’s why, from the first day I started to work with Lladró, I wanted to transfer that idea from vinyl to porcelain; to take the iconographic part of urban collectible toys to more traditional porcelain. I was really attracted to the idea, because it was a kind of experiment in mixing two different worlds, of seeing what would happen, what the result would be.
How did you arrive at this character?
And the truth is that we were very happy right from the very first tests. There was something in the figure, an energy, that caused a great impression, and I believe that’s why it got off to such a fantastic start and has continued being such a great success.
I wanted it to reflect my world and so I gave it some of my gestures. It has the forms I draw, but at the same time I also envisaged a development of the straight lines of collectible toys, without a lot of gesturality but with strong graphics.
My idea was to look for a figurative object that would have a touch where you would notice the porcelain, realize that it was not that simple, that it had a subtle gesture that shows it is handcrafted and that it would be a little human but at once not. In other words, it would be a young boy but it wouldn’t be childlike, which is why it doesn’t have a face or eyes … the idea was for it to be somehow neutral. Those details were very important when it came to creating the object.
And it was no easy task because Lladró sculptors always pay such close attention to the face, which is normally so important for the expressiveness of a figure. A smile, a wink, or eyes looking up or down can change the message you wish to convey. So when I said to them “don’t gave it a face” the response from the Lladró team was so interesting. They were shocked, but I didn’t want a face because the idea is that everybody would give it their own face. And though at first it sounded a little crazy I think that in the end it is what gives the figure such strength. It is all about simplicity.
‘‘SOMETIMES IT IS A QUESTION OF DOING LESS AND EXPLORING ONE THING IN GREATER DEPTH, MAKING IT MORE MEMORABLE.’’
What was it like translating the idea of The Guest to porcelain?
It actually turned out to be really simple and rewarding because I discovered something that you only realize when you work with Lladró and which most people don’t know, and that is that every single figure is like the actor in a movie. Everything you do to it, however small, tells a story.
The gestures are so important, and it has a lot to do with whether the fists are closed, whether it standing or reclining and so on. The pose can transmit a sense of defeat or of determination. That is why The Guest is such a proud character, a guest who wishes to stay, who looks at you like the artist wants it to look at you. A character that can express itself through the graphics of creatives from anywhere in the world. That is the strength it has and a strength that is destined to last a long time.
Could you tell us more about the collaborations with other artists?
The initial concept was very clear, which was to offer variety in the same creation so that collectors would want to have more than just one. That’s why we had to ensure such wide creativity. And the best way to do that was through the intervention of different artists. In addition, we wanted to discover local artists, to give a voice to artists from different disciplines, to encourage the exchange of graphics.
Do you believe that The Guest could be expanded to other characters?
I think it’s perfect as it is, because the idea of repetition has made it a brand icon. Lots of people around the world identify it with the brand and look forward to finding out who the next guest artist will be.
The idea was to give an opportunity to other artists to express themselves, to do with The Guest whatever they felt like doing and for this reason it has a double meaning. On one hand, it enters your home as a guest, and on the other, the guest artist who intervenes in its creatively, who renders their vision and their own story.
Sometimes it is a question of doing less and exploring one thing in greater depth, making it more memorable. It is the only object that changes throughout its evolution. We shall see where it will take us, but one thing for sure is that it has a lot of surprises still in store for us.
So I don’t really see the need to extend the family. The Guest could be bigger or smaller, but I don’t envisage a family with new characters. But if there were, they would be equally unique, they would say different things and tell other stories. The would be actors starring in another movie.