Klaus Haapaniemi has added 5 new works to Xenia series of etchings made with drypoint and aquatint, making this series of curious still life compositions now nine works. The Xenia works have repeating elements, frogs, bees, birds, fish and mushrooms that become a part of new composition in each work. 
Each work is printed in edition of 40, they are signed and available to purchase from Himmelblau or through us.

Klaus Haapaniemi (born in 1970) is currently one of Finland’s most internationally successful designers. His creations combine Japanese and Russian aesthetics, on the one hand, and the world of folk tales and anthropomorphic animal figures, on the other hand. He has also designed the costumes and staging for the Finnish National Opera’s production of “The Cunning Little Vixen”. At Himmelblau, Haapaniemi has been using gravure printing for the first time. By looking at his virtuoso-like strokes, it would be impossible to tell that he is only starting to grasp the intaglio technique. The new works are compositions, and they also feature the animal creatures that are present in Haapaniemi’s other works.

The composition series has now 6 completed works. You can find out more and purchase the prints from Himmelblau.

Klaus Haapaniemi & Co. has always had an appetite for crossing over from the worlds of interiors, design and fashion to art and performance. As well as maintaining long-term partnerships with various brands, there have also been a number of one-off bespoke projects which have brought a whole new perception of how the studio is interpreted. With Klaus’ unique storytelling ability, collaborations not only produce beautiful outcomes for both parties, but often create an entirely different creative outcome than originally intended.

It was through this story telling ability that the inspiration for Black Lake was born. Created from an imagined volcanic landscape surrounding a remote lakeside summerhouse in Iceland - and then fashioned into a mysterious abstract print.

The main elements of the collection include a bespoke centrepiece sofa with hand engravings upholstered with the Black Lake print, a woven tapestry intended to be used as long rug to flow from a sofa to the floor, and finally a circular carpet which represents the dark steaming pond, biodiverse with strange foliage, water lilies and mysterious lava stones.

The furniture is custom-built by furniture studio Nikari, the tapestry woven in a British textile mill in Bristol, and finally the mysterious pond carpet is printed on wool in the Netherlands.

Before the furniture starts its journey to Iceland, it will be shown just once at the Lokal gallery along with other items of the Black Lake collection. As a result, special products including printed wool scarves and velvet clutches with the Black Lake print have been created to be sold exclusively at Lokal to mark the collaboration.

As well as this, an additional item will be exhibited at the Royal Academy in London. Lokal will also show part of Klaus Haapaniemi’s Xenia etching series made with master printmaker studio, Himmelblau.