Three Questions with Gallery Owner, Elle Föenander
Föenander Galleries was borne out of a passion for art and design. We envisaged a space where art, design, and creativity converged to create thought provoking encounters. The gallery was established in 2018 with the aim to provide a space for exceptional contemporary artists who offer meaningful insights – physically, poetically and culturally – that connect people to ideas which define our time.
What are you looking for when you decide to work with an artist?
There is no set formular for this but we’re generally looking for people who either are or want to become, full time artists and someone whose practice is exemplary and authentic. We also look for consistency of ideas and outcome, so we might follow an artist for quite some sometime before approaching them.
We’re always on the lookout to fill gaps within the stable but more often than not, it starts with an unexpected encounter of an artwork which stops you in your tracks. Sometimes those encounters can be short lived – especially if the artwork provides everything up front, in that initial experience but it’s when those encounters continue to linger and create provocations, that you really pay attention.
Artwork 'Pounamu Splash' by Cathy Carter from Föenander Galleries. Paired with N-S01 Sofa from Karimoku Case Study and Dilana Rug from Föenander Gallery artist Simon Ogden, from our Good Form collection.
Artwork by Belinda Griffiths 'Drift' 2023 from Föenander Galleries with objects and lighting from our Good Form collection.
Our collaboration started with a pair of Eero Saarinen Diamond Chairs you purchased from our store, how did you decide what design objects would suit your interior?
For us, design objects are not just functional pieces but integral elements of the environment we seek to create. When chose the Eero Saarinen Diamond Chairs, we considered their aesthetic compatibility with the intention of the gallery space and their ability to enhance the overall ambiance without drawing too much attention. These chairs, with their iconic mid-century modern design, perfectly complement our space and, add a subtle but dynamic touch to our interior.
Artwork by 'Your Ice Cream's Melting Flower' by Debbie Harris from Föenander Galleries with artwork from Monique Lacey. Paired with Rimini Drawers from our Good Form collection.
Artwork by Belinda Grimes 'Sway' 2023, paired with artwork by Cruz Jiminez 'Evening Mist (Newport Dunes)' 2022. Paired with Sideboard from Robert Heritage for Archie Shine.
Is there an example of a time you’ve seen an artwork really transform a space?
Art can do this in so many ways. I was fortunate enough to see Richard Wilson’s 20/50 – a large installation based artwork (a room covered with a glossy engine oil) which didn’t just transform a space but it had the ability to transcend it. I was a student at the time, with quite a narrow ideas about what art was but this work was a gamechanger for me, and expanded my perceptions about what art was and was it could do.
To transform a space though, an artwork doesn’t need to be particularly large or site specific. For example, our current exhibition by Ramon Robertson does this by drawing attention to the space around his sculptures. Robertson’s works blur the distinction between artwork and prestation space – which both exist in the same visual field – something which is emphasised by the artist’s decision to use typical building materials like: concrete, plaster and timber (rather than materials traditionality associated with sculpture, such as bronze or glass).
Artwork by Adrian Jackman 'DFS' from Föenander Galleries with Adrian Pearsall Platform Sofa and objects from our collection.
Michael Dell 'Velvet Night' with Model 21 Sideboard by Omann Jun
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