Collector Questionnaire

Cultured Collections with Leyden Lewis

Designer Leyden Lewis in his Brooklyn loft with his dog.
Designer Leyden Lewis in his Brooklyn loft with his dog.

Elizabeth Fazzare: How did you begin to build your own collection?

Leyden Lewis: A collection for me is those objects that I cannot live without. I feel drawn to something like gravity, and I just have to have it.

EF: What pieces inspired you to continue?

LL: My toy collection. Those little figurines are colorful and optimistic; they make me very happy.

A collection of toys and ceramics sits on custom wall shelving by Leyden Lewis Design Studio.

EF: What designers/artists are inspiring you right now?

LL: All of my cocreators in the Black Artists and Designers Guild for the Obsidian project.

EF: Does the marketplace help your discovery process? Why or why not?

LL: Yes, of course. I find inspiration in places such as Material ConneXion and the D&D building in New York. The marketplace is always inviting conversation about new furniture and fabrics.

leyden lewis home
A gallery wall featuring artworks by Jeffrey Hargrave, Boogie, Jared Buckheister, Jack Pierson, Lyle Ashton Harris, Lorna Simpson, Tyquane Wright, Potsdamer Platz Art Fair, the designer himself and his father, Lionel Lewis. Sculpture by Martin Sjoberg and Wiggle stool by Frank Gehry.

EF: What is the next piece on your radar?

LL: A set of "color coded" prints from Kyle Goen.

EF: What is the one piece that got away?

LL: There was a piece just recently on my radar but sadly was already sold. It was a two-foot by four-foot woven female body part. I discovered it one day browsing online and was immediately drawn to its humorous and beautiful nature.

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