The Haas Brothers (twins, Nikolai and Simon Haas, b.1984) are American artists, noted for their sculptural works that blur the line between art and design. They currently work in Los Angeles, California.
Biography
Nikolai and Simon Haas were born in Santa Monica, California but grew up in Austin, Texas. [1] Their mother, Emily Tracy, was an opera singer and their father, Berthold Haas, was a sculptor. Their older brother Lukas Haas is an actor. Simon Haas studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, while Nikolai focused on music with his band, RRIICCEE, in Los Angeles. [2]
Their first collaborative project together was in 2009 when they created bespoke furniture for Tobey Maguire. [3] This project led to other commissions for high-profile clients including Lady Gaga, Donatella Versace, and Peter Marino, which allowed them to formally open their studio in Los Angeles in 2010. [4]
In 2013-14, they decided to relocate from New York to Los Angeles. They described the old studio as being too crowded and wanting to have more space for their projects. [5]
As their practice developed, they moved from thinking about functionality first to “start[ing] with emotional content,” as Simon has stated. [6] Their practice has expanded to include both small and large-scale sculpture in a wide variety of materials. [7]
Professional work
The Haas Brothers had a solo show at the Bass Museum of Art in Miami, Florida (December 2018-April 2019). [8]
They have also been included in group exhibitions at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, the ArtScience Museum in Singapore, and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. [9] [10] [11]
The Haas Brothers’ works are included in major collections including the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, New York, NY; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA; Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Providence, RI; and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY. [12] [13] [14]
They are represented by R & Company and Marianne Boesky Gallery, both in New York, and by Lora Reynolds in Austin, TX. [15] [16]
Collaborations
In 2019, the Haas Brothers launched a luxury home goods collection in collaboration with L’OBJET. The line is also sold through Bergdorf Goodman. [17] In 2013, The Haas Brothers began to collaborate with Monkeybiz, a South African women’s collective known for their beadwork. [18] Monkeybiz, who also have branded themselves The Haas Sisters, have worked with the Haas Brothers on their Afreaks sculptures, which were included in the Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial. [19] The Haas Brothers have also established a partnership with a group of women from Lost Hills, California, a small agricultural town with limited employment opportunities for women. [20] They have facilitated the opportunity for the women to learn beadwork skills and now employ them for their beadwork creations. [21]
Bibliography
- R & Company: 20 Years of Discovery. Bologna, Italy and New York, NY: Damiani and R & Company, 2018. ISBN 8862085818
- Haas, Simon, Chee Pearlman and Emily Tracy-Haas. Haas Brothers Volume II: Afreaks. Bologna, Italy and New York, NY: Damiani and R & Company, 2015. ISBN 978-8862084345
- Haas Brothers: Feinstein. Zurich, Switzerland: Galerie Gmurzynska, 2014.
- Haas Brothers: Volume One. Bologna, Italy and New York, NY: Damiani and R & Company, 2014. ISBN 978-8862083737
References
- ^ Roux, Caroline (5 December 2018). "The Haas Brothers at the Bass Museum, Miami — furry beasts, pink tinsel and velveteen cacti". The Financial Times. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ "30 Under 30 Art and Style". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ Small, Rachel (19 January 2014). "The Haas Brothers' Los Angeles Philosophy". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ Himelfarb, Ellen (11 June 2013). "The Haas brothers' bestial new furniture launches at Design Miami/ Basel". Wallpaper. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ Marikar, Sheila. "The Haas Brothers." Surface, Dec. 2015, p. 46+. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A442454176/ITOF?u=cuny_laguardia&sid=ITOF&xid=e2157cbb.
- ^ Cascone, Sarah (7 December 2018). "The Haas Brothers on Their Breakthrough Miami Moment and Tips for Rising Above the Art and Design Divide". Artnet News. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ Roberts, Alison (15 July 2016). "Ceramic and Beaded Creatures Mark an Absurd and Welcomed Design Renaissan". Vice. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- ^ "Ferngully: The Haas Brothers". The Bass. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ "Regarding George Ohr: Contemporary Ceramics in the Spirit of the Mad Potter". Boca Museum. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ "Serpentiform". Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ "This Week". The New Yorker. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ "The Haas Brothers". Cooper Hewitt. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ "The Haas Brothers". Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ "Big Baby Accretion, 2016, The Haas Brothers". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ Armstrong, Annie (18 May 2018). "Marianne Boesky Gallery and R & Company Now Represent the Haas Brothers". ArtNews. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ "The Haas Brothers". Lora Reynolds. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- ^ Palumbo, Jacqui (6 March 2019). "The Haas Brothers' Playful Monsters Are Now a Homeware Line". Artsy. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ Stone, Zak (17 September 2015). "The Haas Brothers' African Adventure". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ Howarth, Dan (14 March 2015). "Haas Brothers and Monkeybiz dress Afreaks monsters in colourful beads". Dezeen. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ Curry, Colleen (5 December 2018). "The Haas Brothers' First Solo Museum Show Dazzles in Miami". Galerie Magazine. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
- ^ Shaw, Anny (29 November 2018). "Five Shows to See During Art Basel Miami Beach". Sotheby's Museum Network. Retrieved 19 April 2019.