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Creative Minds

Daniel Arsham

The visionary talent’s multifaceted practice spans art, architecture, and fashion

By Lucy Rees
Futuristic office with a carved desk, modern chairs, and glowing teal shelving against a sleek, illuminated wall.
Daniel Arsham transformed Friedman Benda’s booth at Design Miami. Photo: Courtesy of the artist

“A lot of my work is about dislocating time,” says Daniel Arsham, whose multifaceted practice spans art, architecture, and fashion. Last year, he was the talk of Design Miami/, thanks to a futuristic domestic environment he created for Friedman Benda.

The idea sprang from the need to furnish his Long Island home, which was designed by modernist architect Norman Jaffe. (Architecture is a long-held passion for Arsham, who cofounded the innovative firm Snarkitecture in 2007.) Most recently, he launched a men’s capsule collection with Dior and installed a series of eroded, crystallized busts and friezes at Perrotin’s Paris outpost, collaborating with a 200-year-old French molding atelier. Dated 1,000 years in the future, the artifacts celebrate time-honored craftsmanship and reveal a mystifying world to come.

Man standing in a gallery with the word "FUTURE" sculpted on the wall behind him.
Daniel Arsham. Courtesy of the artist

Futuristic office with a carved desk, modern chairs, and glowing teal shelving against a sleek, illuminated wall.
Daniel Arsham transformed Friedman Benda’s booth at Design Miami. Courtesy of the artist

Marble head sculpture with crystalline formations embedded, creating a blend of natural textures and classical artistry.
Daniel Arsham, Blue Calcite Eroded Lucius Verus, 2019. Tanguy Beurdeley

Ancient marble bust of a bearded man with noticeable damage, displayed on a white pedestal against a plain background.
Daniel Arsham, Rose Quartz Eroded Bust of Commode, 2019. Tanguy Beurdeley

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2020 Spring Issue under the headline Creative Minds. Subscribe to the magazine.