GANT X ISIS MARIA NIEDECKEN: BRINGING COLOR INTO OUR LIVES

Your paintings give us pure summer vibes. What is your most memorable holiday memory?

As a child, we rented the same house on a small beach in Naxos, Greece for many years and often spent the entire summer vacation there. My sister and I could run around freely, eat alone at the restaurant in the bay, buy watermelons, play cards, build caves, and take small hikes. The seclusion and nature, Greek food, family-run businesses, and community in the village are for me the epitome of summer vacation.

How did you later get into art and develop your style?

I have always painted, but since both my father and my older brother studied art and painting, I felt the need to go my own way and initially moved from my hometown Cologne to Berlin to fashion design. During my studies, I realized that it was not for me. I love that I learned a craft, I can make cuts, I can sew, and I have further developed my sense of aesthetics. But during the pandemic and with a small baby at home, I started painting on canvas to capture vacation memories and everyday moments.

Your fascination with colors shines through each of your works. Why do they play such an important role for you?

I love colors and feel in colors. The right colors bring me peace and satisfaction, and the same colors or color combinations can disturb and unsettle me. I believe that this applies to everyone, but most people are not aware of how much effect colors have.

Wine glasses, pizza slices, cans of tomato sauce, seafood and colorfully set tables. What attracts you to the everyday and to everyday objects, making them the focus of your art?

I grew up in a very colorful house full of art, souvenirs, and mementos. Even there, everyday objects were charged with meaning and a lot of attention was directed to the hidden little compositions in our environment. We often went to Museum Ludwig in Cologne and thus I came into contact with Pop Art at a very early age. Thanks to my my parents, I learned a lot about Joseph Beuys and found a fascination for the artists of the Arte Povera movement of the 60s and 70s. I find it exciting to seek “beauty” in the everyday.

And what does an object need to fascinate and inspire you?

I know usually at first glance whether I find an object interesting or not. I love design classics and Bauhaus. But sometimes it’s just the right shade of color or a special shape.

How has going through everyday life with an open eye for detail shaped you as a person?

Honestly, focusing on small details and looking for beauty is a reaction to the open eye. As a highly sensitive person, I perceive a lot. So I try to focus my senses and actively direct my attention to certain things.

Fashion also evokes feelings and memories. Which piece makes you nostalgic in a good way?

I bought a pink and white striped bazar bag from Balenciaga via Vestiaire in 2017. It was the first designer item I bought and has greatly influenced my personal style. It was an important part of my pre-baby wardrobe and one of the few pieces that made it into the mom wardrobe, for which functionality is top priority.

How would you describe your personal style and how can we imagine your signature look?

Comfort first! I love baggy jeans or pajama pants paired with an oversized blazer or a classic jacket. An oversized coat like the 101801 from Max Mara has also been an essential in my wardrobe for years. I love a color accent on the bag or as a hair accessory.

What do you find typical for the GANT style?

GANT creates timeless classics that stay in every wardrobe for a long time.

What associations do you have with the typical GANT color world?

The GANT color world stands for peace and strength to me. It radiates confidence.

What is your favorite from the current SS24 collection?

I love the large red and white striped beach bag. It’s perfect for summer.

Especially in Berlin, there is the typical black uniform. Why does that not suit you at all?

I have to say that I also wore the classic black uniform for several years. But since becoming a mother and realizing that I don’t want to dress my child in black, it has also had a significant impact on my wardrobe. Black is always the easiest option not to attract attention. But I have become more confident and have found myself and my aesthetics more. I want to have an oasis at home that feels like an extension of my mind. My home gives me joy and security. I hope that this will also infiltrate my wardrobe more over time.

You belong to a new generation of artists who have not taken the classic path through galleries and institutions for their career but through Instagram. What difference does that make?

Going through Instagram is certainly the more commercial route, but why should that be a bad thing? I think it’s great that people are engaging more with art and culture, and access has become easier. Sometimes, of course, the serious art world still unsettles me, but honestly, I’ve only encountered interested and open-minded people so far.

How can you and other artists change the traditional structure of the art world and its power dynamics?

Honestly, I believe that the traditional structures of the art world are constantly changing and evolving, and you can’t escape that change. Just like in all areas of our society. It’s great that there are more and more young galleries. Museums are interested in engaging with new artists and media, and the concept of limited fine art prints democratizes art. Last December, I had my first solo exhibition with the NBB Gallery in Berlin, and in May, I will be offering a limited print of my favorite painting “Fritas” in collaboration with them.

All your works convey a warm, positive feeling. What do you want to evoke in viewers? And why do you think that’s important?

My paintings, like my home, are an oasis for me. I want to provide a kind of vacation for the brain. In today’s society, with constant news and social media overload, I often feel helpless and overwhelmed. But only those who have the capacity can truly make a difference.

Interview by Ann Katrin Riedl

Photography Tristan Rösler
Styling Alexander Gabriel
Hair & Makeup Jana von Oheimb
Styling Assistant Julia Pietsch
Talent Isis Maria Niedecken

All Looks by GANT