“I WANTED TO MAKE an object of desire,”
explains 29-year-old artist Tschabalala Self.
“I feel that’s where my specialty lies.” She could
easily be talking about her critically-acclaimed
mixed media work – large-scale paintings and
digital renderings that explore the multiplicity of
racial and sexual identities in modern America- which have showcased in galleries in
London, Berlin, Los Angeles, New York and
Miami. In fact, she’s referencing the special-
edition handbag she’s just designed with Louis
Vuitton – her artistic rendition of the iconic
Capucines bag.
“My first idea was to produce a figurative
work for the bag, but then I started thinking
more critically about what the most exciting
aspect of my paintings is,” says
Self, whose work is in equal
parts informed by her childhood
in Harlem and her love for
intersectional feminist literature.
“It’s not so much the figures as the
deconstruction of the form, and
the idea of building it up again.
My idea was to apply that
thinking to the Louis Vuitton
logo: breaking it down and
re-using the fragments as
building blocks for a new form.”
ON SHOWARTS
& GRAF T
AMERICAN ARTIST
TSCHABALALA
SELF IS LENDING
HER FEMINIST AND
RACE-INFUSED
WORK TO A
FRENCH ICONYou only have to look to Stephen Sprouse’s
graffiti purses or Takashi Murakami’s cherry-
littered monogram totes to know art and Louis
Vuitton bags are a potent combination.
For the ArtyCapucines Collection, Self and
five other emerging artists, including Alex Israel
and Urs Fischer, brought their unique styles. The
fruits of their labours are six exclusive designs,
with only 300 of each to be produced.
Self’s final bag is aqua, embroidered with
graphic renderings of LV’s classic symbols. The
level of craftsmanship is a testament
to Self’s keen eye for detail: there
are more than 200 elements hand-
stitched onto the bag, which was
made with 19 different types of
leather, including upcycled leathers
from the LV archives. With a distinct
pop-art sensibility — the bag is a
definite statement piece, made
to be worn, not to be treated like
an untouchable work of art.
“I made the bag keeping in
mind what I would want to wear
myself,” says Self, who caught
the attention of the fashion world
soon after her first solo show
debuted in 2015. “I thought
the person who would wear this
bag would have a more overall conservative
style but might want some objects that are
super gaudy or poppy.” Whether you’re an art
fanatic or simply a curator of beautiful clothing,
it’s a collector’s piece if we ever saw one. E“THE BAG
is MADE TO
be WORN,
NOT to be
TREATED
LIKE a WORK
of ART”F IRS
T LOOK
Self’s interpretation
of the Louis Vuitton
Capucines bag
Work in progressThe artist’s
studioArtist Tschabalala SelfWords: Grace O’Neill. Photography: Paul Wetherell;
Studio Lenthal