Art: Loman Art Upcycled Creations
Loman Art [Senegal]
[Image credits: Loman Art – Sandy Haessner] Creating poetry, songs, and works of art, designer Loman Pawlitschek is the embodiment of the term ‘creative spirit’. Creating mobiles and other decorative art features like mirrors, Loman is committed to upcycling, taking unwanted and discarded scrap metals and materials, turning them into functional objects of value. Originally from Australia, Loman and her family moved to South Africa for a few years where she worked as an interior decorator, before moving to Dakar, Senegal where she has lived for four years; and where her business Loman Art is based. Dakar has been a source of inspiration for Loman who draws inspiration from the city; the energy, the people, and the weather amongst other things saying that what she has found in Senegal has inspired her to do things differently from the norm and to try and make a difference.
Having no experience of working with metal Loman acknowledges that creating the first mobiles was a learning curve. Loman started by working with some local metal workers who soon came to work with for business full-time. Sourcing sheets of metal or rolls of wire from a recycling yard in Medina, a local neighbourhood, all the metal shapes for each product are cut by hand, and some pieces can be quite detailed taking a long time to complete. The paint used on the metal is the same as that used for painting cars and is an involved process that saw Loman and the team visit a local car workshop to see firsthand how it was done. Loman Art now comprises a team of seven who work across, metalwork, painting and decorating, and sewing; and by invitation some established local artists have come into the workshop to teach the team new techniques in painting and metalwork. Other materials collected include bottle tops and ring can pulls that are being used to decorate linens and accessories like cushion covers, aprons, and handbags.
[Image credits: Loman Art, Racing Car – Tapiwa]
Loman Art is essentially about taking ‘rubbish’ and turning it into unique art pieces and Loman’s home; both interior and exterior is a testament to the business’ imaginative and highly creative designs with walls providing the backdrop to intricately assembled floral-inspired mobiles whilst floral and geometric-inspired chandeliers hang gracefully overhead; including one impressive centrepiece that when switched on has rotating parts like planets orbiting the sun! Outside, sculpted mirrored panels made from scrap metal or bottle tops woven together line the walls, but the ‘piece de resistance’ of which there are two… come in the form of a huge racing car climbing up the side of a wall and an equally huge glitter ball suspended over the swimming pool that gently rotates when switched on. Although made from metal some of Loman Art’s designs tend to have a light paper-like quality about them, think origami, but closer inspection reveals them to be quite sturdy.
Additional details:
For further information about Loman Art and commission enquiries visit: http://lomanartsen.com
