Yasemen Hussein – bespoke multi-media artist and alchemist

Can you remember a moment in your life where you watched someone transform a seemingly unpromising raw ingredient into something of sublime beauty? Can you recall that feeling of intrigue and awe at the skill and creativity involved?

All the artists I work with are are material specialists of one form or another and I marvel at the ways even the most unlikely raw ingredients are transfigured in their hands – none more so than those of mixed-media and bespoke sculptor Yasemen Hussein.

My first impression on visiting Yasemen’s studio many years ago was how masculine it felt. Welding equipment and a concrete mixer sat alongside cast slabs of concrete and lengths of copper wire. The materials and equipment looked heavy and unwieldy and yet the pieces on show were delicate, sublime creations. Yasemen talked me through some of her processes: bending and shaping metal with flame, welding copper piping, engraving concrete by hand – none of them for the faint hearted.

Surprising therefore to find Yasemen of petite frame. However she exudes barely contained, almost combustible energy and, like her materials, she is shaped and etched by experience, her character a beguiling marriage of strength and fragility, charisma and theatre which comes through in her work.  

Recently this translated literally into head-pieces commissioned by the Victoria & Albert Museum, London for their exhibition “Opera: Passion, Power and Politics”.

These ‘costume’ pieces form part of a continual stream of commissions that have included wearable sculptures created for Will.i.am and Katy Perry as well as the Victoria’s Secret catwalk.  The last two remaining pieces from the Shows are being offered to collectors for the first time and are illustrated below: Chrome Ruff (2009) worn by Alessandra Ambrosio and Feathers worn by Maryna Linchuck (2008). [Price on application]

“I’m inspired by mythology, the Italian renaissance and poetry,” she says. “Basically – beauty. And that could be Dolly Parton or Aubrey Beardsley.”  Her work is as exuberant and fantastical as it is organic, and she works at any scale – from making intricate objects for a Tim Walker set, to creating vast and dramatic sculptures for atrium spaces.

Yasemen’s work never fails to be the conversation point in an interior. Her metal feathers, for example, juxtapose elegance and lightness with the heft of their source material and are commissioned to act as light fittings, or interior centrepieces of varying sizes. “…but nothing is ever the same twice and because of the way I work, every piece is a total original.”

Yasemen, like all the artists of material I work with, divides her time between developing new work and realising the commissions they inspire.

I am delighted to introduce three new such pieces designed for the interior. Each illustrated below is a one-off available to purchase. Each can also inspire commissions on a bespoke basis for your space or project.

Flower Cascade(40×29 ins) – each flower is cut and curled, teased and patinated by hand, forming a re-imagining of the traditional carved wood or plaster floral swag. Cascades are designed for wall mounting and are entirely adaptable to serve as an overmantle, to curl around an architectural feature or serve as a table centrepiece. They are suited to a humid environment and can be patinated in a single colour or combination of red, silver or black finish. As illustrated £5200 inc VAT.

Bird Branch (37×33 ins) – fashioned from copper tubing this design has an indefinable charm. The illustrated piece is scaled to fit a standard overmantel. The concept is entirely adaptable in orientation and size to suit any interior concept or measurement. 

Ostrich Feather (27x18ins) is created from copper wire in the same fashion as the V&A wig sculptures. This piece can be draped over a mantlepiece or shelf, or simply rested on a plinth or table top. Variations can be commissioned. £5,000 inc VAT (Collectors include McLaren) 

Author’s note:

Since 2010 I have been identifying and collaborating with British artists and studios, offering a distinctive resource of exclusive multi-disciplinary art to clients worldwide.  

Guilded Ltd provides the assurance of a secure and professional service framework along with expertise to ensure projects are delivered on time to the highest standard, whether these be available one-offs or bespoke creations developed to commission. 

I provide a single point of contact at all times, thereby providing an outstanding level of personal and dedicated service to each and every client from enquiry to installation.

All enquiries are welcome, whether into the work of an artist I represent or not. With over 25 years of experience in the art world I  can signpost just the right artist to realise your interior dream.

Charlotte Bowater
Founder – Guilded Ltd