the Canadian artist who transforms everyday life into works of art

Lettuce shorts, brioche sofas and bras made with Apple earphones. And again bouclé-effect popcorn and chewing gum inspired by the sofas of Tobia Scarpa and Lella and Massimo Vignelli. On his Instagram profile from almost 700 thousand followers, the visual artist Gab Bois post glossy and irreverent shots, and aim the lens at the culture hype where the exclusive product is the protagonist.

Born in Montreal under the sign of Gemini on June 2, 1997, the twenty-five-year-old Canadian presents herself as a former art student, with a passion for beauty and well-made things, and an ever attentive eye towards (non-traditional) photography. Despite her success on Instagram, Gab Bois was actually “a Tumblr teenager”.

«Objects can be connected to consumerism and often thought of as superficial», he comments, «I personally think that their monetary value does not define my admiration for them. For example, as a child I collected rocks and erasers: I liked to line them up and look at them. My childhood perception and wonder of objects stuck with me, allowing me to attach sentimental value to everyday objects»

Simple and immediate, his creations reach everyone, often going viral on Instagram and conquering the elite of fashion. Switching from Tumblr to Instagram in 2016, Gab divides herself between social media and luxury brands.

Among the latest collaborations, the one started last June with YOOX, in conjunction with the Fuorisalone, which brought to light a reflection on the new way of experiencing living spaces through a design that is not limited only to the simple production of furnishing accessories. For the occasion Gab has created Jellounge sofa, that is, the print of a sixties armchair that seems to be made of jelly. A kind of bouncy Russian salad which answers YOOX’s question: “What is meant by fluid space today?”.

THE ICONS OF DESIGN

Per The Modern Housethe magazine of the homonymous real estate agency halfway between an architecture magazine and a lifestyle magazine, the Canadian artist has instead reinterpreted the icone del design through the use of food and commonly used materials.

An example of this is the modular sofa made with slices of pan brioche inspired by Camaleonda sofa designed by Mario Bellini in 1970 or, the sandwich filled with tomatoes, lettuce and slices of cheese, which transforms into a three-seater sofa with peninsula. Or the armchairs by Lella and Massimo Vignelli or by Tobia Scarpa worked with pieces of chewing gum colorful, the sofa bed in sponge cake, whipped cream and wild strawberries and the fresh pasta used to create a two-seater sofa.

Going back to the timeless Camaleonda, Gab says she was literally “haunted” by it. «From Jacquemus’ office to the many influencer lounges, Mario Bellini’s sofa has always followed me. I mean, I saw it everywhere. So much so that I fell in love with it. At first glance, his silhouette reminded me of a pack of round sandwiches. Perhaps this is where my way of making art was born », she smiles.

I TRY TO HONOR EVERY OBJECT BY CREATING NEW AND SURPRISING COMBINATIONS

ATM WOOD

Food, fashion, design, art and pop culture thus become the key elements of his work. A work made up of glances towards everyday life which are not intimidated by monotony but, on the contrary, which leave room for the imagination.

We ask her if she is working on a new project for the next Design Week, but Gab replies in a melancholy tone: «Unfortunately, no. But, I had so much fun last year, that I can’t wait to create more physics-driven design projects. I hope to exhibit them again in Milan in the future».

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