Artistic duo brings Lucite and epoxy to life with color and light

The Como, Italy-based design studio of Draga & Aurel is using transparent acrylic sheets, epoxy resin, light and color to create visually striking collections of high-end furniture. They just unveiled two such collections, called Flare and Glaze, done exclusively for specific galleries.

Founded in 2007, Draga & Aurel is a multidisciplinary studio that works along the spectrum of furniture, textile and interior design. The duo –– designer Draga Obradovic and painter Aurel K. Basedow –– began using Lucite polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resin about two years ago.

They work with colored cast acrylic sheets obtained from Italian suppliers. The process involves joining these Lucite sheets and then cutting them out to obtain special shapes that play with the refraction of light.

"We are fortunate to be able to collaborate with local artisans in the province of Como, right where our atelier and workshop are based," they wrote in an email interview just before the Milan Design Fair in mid-April. “One of the things that attracted us the most is the possibility of creating infinite combinations of colors and shapes, from the more fluid to the more 'sculptural'.

"Another important feature of Lucite is definitely its transparency, which is never lacking in our way of designing. We also like it because it is resistant, not prone to ageing, reusable, recyclable, and environment-friendly."

The Serbian-born Obradovic and Munich-born Basedow, who have lived together as a couple for 20 years, have long been working with epoxy resin, calling it their "elective" material for many years. Epoxy, they say, has always fascinated them for its ability to capture and reflect light in the surrounding environment.

"It is untamable and unpredictable, but at the same time it offers us incredible opportunities for expression through the play of transparency and colour nuances."

The pair like to experiment, which is what led them to explore PMMA. "We are now continuing this type of research with Lucite, experimenting with asymmetrical types of cuts and color combinations that allow us to play even more with refraction effects, offering a unique and stimulating visual experience."

The use of resin, Basedow´s bio says, allows him "to incorporate unusual objects and textures, adding depth and complexity to his work." By concealing certain elements within the layers of resin, he aims to create a sense of mystery, encouraging viewers to engage with the work more deeply.

"The reflective surface of the resin," it continues, "produces depth and translucency, which responds to and reflects the surrounding environment, making the artwork dynamic and transmutable depending on various factors such as light, place, and time."

The Flare collection is a new limited-edition capsule collection that the duo says explores the power of color and light refraction through the craftsmanship of Lucite. They made it exclusively for Todd Merrill Studio, a New York-based gallery. The pieces are numbered, with price tags starting at $25,000 each. They will make new pieces on request.

"Flare, in fact, is the result of a path of research and manual workmanship to which we have dedicated body and soul," they wrote. "In addition, we really like to play with combinations of materials."

Consisting of seven variants of a coffee table and a totem-sculpture made entirely of Lucite, Flare is the result of an intense study of materials and their ability to come "alive" through color and light.

Draga & Aurel also used Milan Design Week to release a new collection exclusively for the locally based Nilufar Gallery. It includes Glaze coffee and dining tables, Dewdrops coffee tables, and a mushroom-shaped Puffed Pouf.

Called Tinted Hues, it features cool colors –– blue, lilac and green –– on the Lucite, giving it an overall effect of depth and three-dimensionality. "It's not a decoration," the designers say, "but a declaration, a bold manifesto of creativity and imagination. Its abstract charm solicits attention and allows for free interpretation, inviting the public to interact. It's a new fusion of design and art."

Asked to characterize their relationship with plastics, Draga & Aurel wrote: "I would say that we live in symbiosis with the material. We choose the materials we work with carefully; we are very demanding. We carefully follow the entire process of making our works and we spend a large part of our time in the workshop, working the materials ourselves, just like craftsmen. In this way, the ideas that are in our heads literally take shape."

From Serbia to Florence – Draga Obradovic

Born in Čačak, Serbia, in 1964, Obradovic moved 20 years later to Florence, Italy, where she graduated in 1988 from the Accademia di Belle Arti with a degree in painting. She began her career in the fashion industry, first working in London and Milan as a textile designer and refining a technique for painting directly on fabrics.

She freelanced in various studios, including in Paris, Belgrade and Florence, before eventually settling in Como. In 2006 she designed her first furniture collection using pieces from various time periods and styles. The following year she began working with her partner Basedow, an artist and designer.

Mixing mediums to add depth and complexity – Aurel K. Basedow

Basedow also graduated from Milan’s Accademia di Belle Arti, with a degree in fine arts, having previously trained as a carpenter and woodworker. His bio notes that he likes to employ various mediums such as enamel, pastel, dyes, stains, and spray paint, creating a composition of geometric lines and expressive brush strokes, with each gesture building on the previous one, separated by layers of clear resin.