Behind the Collection: LUNYA x LACMA
To put rest on a pedestal. One might muse, perhaps it is the very act of reveling in a solid eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Undoubtedly, a masterpiece of its own right. Or does it mean to marvel at how when we’re supremely rested up, this version of ourselves is that much more remarkable across all technical and most human aspects? It is in this quest to witness rest as a beloved art form that we link arms with like-minded collaborators – who through medium, color, artistry, and subject – manifest great serenity and stillness in seemingly ordinary, everyday moments. Offering an outlet of reprieve. Or even more greatly felt, a place where we can find our bearings once again.
In this very special collaboration with LACMA, we bring Claude Monet’s iconic and tranquil masterpiece into the restful fold. Inspired by the water garden that he created at his Giverny estate in Normandy, Monet’s Nymphéas [Water Lilies] offers a calming scene of mesmerizing oil brushstrokes, his water lilies standing most notably among the sea of varying blues and greens. Through impressionistic mastery, there is a sense of beckoning here – an act of solacing immersion. Perhaps it is the inviting hues of Monet’s calm waters, or perhaps the weightlessness of his floating botanical subjects. Look closely enough and here lies a personal invitation to find your own quiet, retreating moment.
“WHAT KEEPS MY HEART AWAKE IS COLORFUL SILENCE.”
–Claude Monet
Here in Monet’s renowned artwork we so humbly, yet proudly entwine our stance to revere rest as an art form by its own right. May you place rest on your own personal pedestal – enacting it as a medium for becoming better humans in a capacity to give more deeply when we’re well rested and well cared for. May your wearable work of art be the reminder that your self-care rituals are worthy of their very own marvel and wonderment. And that a masterpiece is the result of true intention set before it.
Claude Monet, Nympheas, c. 1897–98, oil on canvas, 26 × 41 in., Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Mrs. Fred Hathaway Bixby Bequest, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA
