Jaime Hayon
In Jaime, you can almost hear the word “gem”. And that’s a good way to characterize artist and designer Jaime Hayon.
Half conquistador, half-imp, this adventurer of design embraces life with an extraordinary creative zest, an immediate empathy for his nearest and dearest, and an infectious vitality. Skipping from one language to another in a heartbeat, he simultaneously chats in English as well as French, Italian and Spanish, all with a singular nonchalance and ease. Born in Madrid, this Almodóvar of design is on a ceaseless quest for encounters and new lands. The paradox arises from the overlap of this free-wheeling spirit and his inspirations, drawn entirely from the sensuality of his background: fragrances, sounds, languages, visions of childhood and his Iberian roots.
The primary colors, the excess, the organic baroque shapes of the furniture and ceramics, the manga-meets-Iberia “toys”: his imagination flows as freely as a stream from the tip of a colored pencil or brush with the talent of a master draftsman. His “Rencontre” with Baccarat is typical of this atypical talent. This masterful stylistic undertaking between colored cut crystal or pieces engraved with gold and metallic ceramics successfully bridges the gap between sumptuous transparency and velvety opaqueness. Hayon’s sense of humor reframes the importance of his creation in a limited edition of monumental works. In the style of a crystal menagerie, thought like an astonishing bestiary, Jaime Hayon signs in 2011 the Baccarat Zoo. Halfway between a glamorous sweet box and a decorative object, the Spanish designer combines the sparkle of crystal with porcelain and gives birth to a wildlife triptych, both playful and democratic.