Kristjana S Williams
Kristjana x Coldplay (2018)
Kristjana S Williams Hand and laser cut paper collage and gold leaf Private commission Courtesy of the artist and Coldplay |
In 2018, Coldplay released its album, concert film and documentary, collectively known as The Butterfly Package; the sumptuous, detailed and personalised artwork was designed by award-winning Icelandic artist Kristjana S Williams.
Williams’ fine art work was known to the band prior to the commission. Phil Harvey (Coldplay’s fifth member/creative director) owned an original gold leaf butterfly collage. Williams typically sources collage elements from Victorian engravings, which she hand cuts, scans and manipulates. The Coldplay artwork was created from weaving together her style with multiple emblematic visuals from the band’s 20-year history, including the Flowers of Life image from A Head Full of Dreams, the digitally rendered face from A Rush of Blood to the Head, a street sign from the flat where the band had their first rehearsal (268 Camden Road) and monkeys - a recurrent theme in Williams’ work and which feature in the band’s Adventures of a Lifetime video. The artwork is a nice addition to Williams’ oeuvre, which includes fine art, wallpaper, soft furnishings and exquisite packaging for companies such as Fortnum & Mason. For more information: kristjanaswilliams.com Hedge issue 53, pp52-57, March 2019 |
Kristjana S Williams
Green Branch Line (2014) Giclée print on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 300 gsm archival paper 550 mm x 720 mm Edition of 100. £185 / original £2,500 Courtesy of the artist |
Transport for London proclaimed 2014 ‘The Year of the Bus’ and Icelandic artist Kristjana S Williams designed a striking image to commemorate it. ‘Green Branch Line’ - based on an original fold-out route map Williams obtained from London Transport Museum’s Depot in Acton - is adorned with an array of imagery from Williams’ enormous library of engravings that she cuts, scans, colours and re-works into a seamless collage.
Hailing from a country of just 300,000 people, Williams describes London as “vast and inspiring” and that travelling within the city “evokes a sense of wonder”. She includes images such as St Paul’s Cathedral and Big Ben to highlight the magnificent sights of London, the deer and rats to signify the countryside destination of the Green Line coaches, and - for aesthetic fun - adds surreal touches in the form of the lobster and the sea horse. Because, well, why not? In the last five years, Williams' work has become increasingly high profile with collaborations and commissions from clients that include the Christmas windows and award-winning packaging for Fortnum & Mason; a 5-metre work for the Shard; and limited edition prints and a 2016 Christmas card for the V&A. For more information: kristjanaswilliams.com Hedge, issue 44, December 2016, pp84-90 |