Artistry & craftsmanship take centre stage at Kohler’s 'The Creator’s Journey' in Milan

From a company making ploughs and other farm implements in 1873 to a global leader in the design, innovation and manufacture of kitchen and bath products, 150 years of Kohler has been nothing short of iconic. As the American company celebrates its 150th anniversary, it brought together a wide array of creators to envision ‘the next 54,787 tomorrows.’ As part of the long celebration of their bold journey of colour, design, and innovation, at Milan Design Week 2023, Kohler presented The Creator’s Journey. For the event, the iconic brand collaborated with four contemporary artists from four different countries to create a limited-edition global collection. Adding more excitement to this, pre-event, it was announced that these collections will be exhibited alongside an aerial sculpture by prominent creator and artist Janet Echelman. Owing to these, the anticipation for the event to unfold on the fairground was soaring.

As the curtains were raised at Palazzo del Senato in Milan during Fuorisalone, visitors stepped into an open courtyard where a multi-coloured magnificent aerial sculpture hung from above. Titled Noli Timere, the monumental sculpture is yet another physical manifestation of Echelman’s artistic language. Her works lie at the intersection of ancient crafts and computational design software to create focused and site-specific art. Even when her installations aren’t immersive, they transform the public spaces into an experiential world of fluid colours and art. With Noli Timere, Echelman's cross-disciplinary artwork communicates the traditional architecture of Palazzo del Senato to the modern-day innovations and changes, similar to Kohler’s aims of bridging past and future together. Echelman also partnered with Kohler on an Artist Editions vessel sink entitled 18.02 that honours the dynamic nature of water.

Beneath Noli Timere are the limited-edition global collection created by Ananda Nahú from Brazil, Ziling Wang from China, Pushpa Kumari from India and Elle from the United States. Nahú’s Kohler Artist Editions Flora Tropical adorned her vibrant murals using traditional Brazilian patterns and colours in layers collage. She brought her multicultural expressionism to the bathroom suite with her Flora Tropical design, combining various artistic techniques with the flowers and cascading waves of Brazil’s Ipanema Beach to meld the beauty of nature with contemporary Kohler structures. Wang’s Kohler Artist Editions A World on Strings combined bold colours with innovative techniques exploring themes of mythology, tradition and nature. For her collaboration with the brand, Wang melded dynamic brush strokes with traditional Chinese scenes in bold interpretations that connect sculptural designs and contemporary Kohler structures.

Known for her intricate line paintings that redefined India’s Mithila tradition, Kumari’s Kohler Artist Editions Aranya employed the ancient Indian technique of symbolic Madhubani art and created a unique celebration of the natural world. Her collection with bold hand-drawn patterns took inspiration from her rich Indian heritage and the nature surrounding her. For her collection, Kohler Artist Editions Falling Gently, street artist Elle married vivid floral forms and rich, saturated colours to urban landscapes and beyond. Incorporating Kohler’s heritage colours, Elle created a dreamy composition with foliage and flowers with signature spray paint drips, a direct reference to her graffiti and street art.

Apart from witnessing the collection displayed on platforms over water structures, visitors also embarked on their own ‘Creator’ journey inside an immersive digital experience that allowed them to bring art to life through their movements in space. As colours, patterns and shapes surrounded the guests in the Creator room, they were filled with emotions of being artists themselves, manipulating the creative overlay on Kohler’s Numi smart toilet.

As part of the week-long festivities, Kohler hosted an evening with some of the biggest architects and designers visiting Milan for Milan Design Week and Salone del Mobile. The celebration of design and colour is best captured in this official statement about the 150-year celebration, “Kohler’s Artist Editions products date back nearly four decades and bring beauty to everyday rituals – pushing boundaries of decorative processes and material sets, helping consumers express personal style in their spaces. Inspired by marrying visual art with manufacturing craftsmanship, Artist Editions sinks, bathtubs, and toilets are adorned with beautiful textures, intricate patterns, abstract illustrations, and picturesque landscapes. The offering also showcases Kohler’s innovative use of speciality glazes and noble materials”.

STIR’s coverage of Milan Design Week 2023 showcases the best exhibitions, studios, designers, installations, brands, and special projects to look out for. Explore Euroluce 2023 and all the design districts—5Vie Art and Design, Brera Design District, Fuorisalone, Isola Design District, Tortona District, and Milano Design District—with us.