As yacht art consultants, Artelier specialises in curating artwork collections for luxury yachts. As well as sourcing contemporary art by leading global artists, we also collaborate with artists to create custom art commissions tailored to the yacht interior. Learn more about our yacht art projects on our dedicated page.
In a recently finished project, Artelier curated and commissioned artworks for the yacht Neninka (ex. Aurora Borealis, 67.6m), including delivering custom murals, paintings, sculptures, and decorative vases. We also provided art consultancy services that oversaw each stage of the project: from assessing key placement for art in the yacht interior, to project managing the commissions, and installing the artworks.
The Amels superyacht, whose interiors exemplify the height of contemporary luxury yacht design, will be featured at the Monaco Yacht Show in September 2019, and was voted as one of the 'Standout Yachts for 2019’ by Boat International. Ahead of MYS, we take a closer look at the art collection onboard.
Across the project, we collaborated with a team of leading contemporary artists on newly commissioned artworks in a range of mediums. The process of creating custom artworks offers limitless potential for tailoring works to the client's taste and the design aesthetic, as well as working seamlessly with the functional elements of a room.
A standout art commission for the yacht was a bespoke 6m gold leaf feature wall, which took pride of place in the Owner's Suite. The mural, inspired by views of Mt Fuji, was created from hand-applied gold leaf. The artist used a selection of different toned golds to create an atmospheric artwork that shimmered in the light-filled space.
For several key areas, we also commissioned TV roller artworks: paintings that retract on a roller mechanism, elegantly revealing and concealing TV screens. A major advantage of using roller artworks is that since a television often occupies a central position in the space, it is also the ideal place to showcase a treasured artwork. While TV rollers have recently become popular, Artelier has pioneered the use of collectable art for this purpose.
In the Main Salon, we commissioned a contemporary artist to create an abstract TV Roller painting that was finished with gold leaf. We worked with the artist to choose a colour palette that would enhance the tonal colour scheme of the interiors, creating a centrepiece artwork that brought together different elements of the design.
Exploring tonal subtleties was a key theme for the project's artworks, many of which were inspired by the ocean and the movement of water. To complement the TV roller artwork in the Main Salon, Artelier recommended another contemporary artist for a series of paintings for the VIP rotunda. This artist created paintings with ink pigments infused with shell gold on paper, exploring notions of fluidity with muted blue hues.
Each of the four guest cabins' themes were inspired by the four elements for their themes: water, earth, air and fire. Artelier commissioned a contemporary abstract artist working with mineral pigments and resins to create wall art which captured the essence of each these elements.
The series of four circular wall panels brought a contemporary edge to the design, and subtly referenced the motif of moving water which appears elsewhere in the yacht's art. Featured below is the 'Earth' circular panel in situ; the green and copper colours, referencing the earth, also highlight understated colours in the interior design. As seen in the 'Water' circular panel, these artworks also featured gold accents like other paintings in the project.
Artelier also commissioned a pair of paintings for the yacht beach club. The client wanted a more informal, relaxed atmosphere for the beach club, and so they requested colourful and bold art for the space. The contemporary paintings that provided a burst of colour amidst the muted, natural tones of the surrounding wood finishes. The abstract diptych, inspired by the ocean, presents a composition that works side by side.
As part of our art framing consultancy, we also created custom art frames for the paintings. We specially considered how the frames could incorporate the paintings into the light, "beachy" feel of the space, and so chose natural wood and materials. The frames were handmade from sustainably sourced oak, and had a white limed finish that highlighted the soft white elements of the design.
From a technical perspective, the paintings also needed to be more robust to withstand the sea air and surrounding conditions. The artist therefore used oil on canvas, which is an especially resistant medium. The finished artworks maintained a high level of sophistication and were by a collectable artist, whilst being hard-wearing.
Initially, the art for this yacht project was commissioned by the owner while they intended the yacht for their own private use, but subsequently they decided to sell the yacht. As the yacht's art collection was made specially, it contributed to the high-calibre presentation that allowed it to be successfully sold. When owners want to sell and charter their yachts, a bespoke artwork collection proves an asset to owners; high-quality art is therefore an important investment, as the yacht offers a complete luxury design package to new owners.
To learn more about our turn-key art consultancy services, and our process for commissioning artworks, visit our Art Consultancy page. As specialist art consultants for yachts, we also have a dedicated page for our yacht projects, where you can discover more examples of our curated art collections.
Explore more yacht interior art case studies: M/Y Plvs Vltra (74m), M/Y Go (77m), M/Y Sea & Us (62m).
Images courtesy of Artelier © and Winch Media.