Art and design: Artists Charlotte and Philip Colbert are taking over The Conran Shop

Artist and filmmaker Charlotte Colbert and pop-artist Philip Colbert launched a limited edition product range with a colourful pop-up at The Conran Shop. Bringing art and surrealism into the design brand’s flagship store on Sloane Square, the takeover features furniture, sculptures and objects from the artists’ design portfolio, taking place at The Conran Shop from 22 July – 26 August 2024.

Charlotte Colbert who has been described as the ‘lovechild’ of Emily Dickinson and Salvador Dali, and Philip, often dubbed the ‘godson of Andy Warhol’, have joined creative forces to introduce a collection of limited-edition objects and furniture, “taking art out of the frame, off plinths and into the home.”

The immersive takeover of Conran’s shop flagship Sloane Square Store features large-scale furniture items previously shown in museums internationally to limited edition collectables such as Charlotte’s ‘Love Bed’ and ‘Eyeconic’ Eye Chairs, Philip’s ‘Lobster Chair’ and ‘Lobster Telephone’ as well as crockery, linens and watercolours.

“I have always loved the spirit of art for everybody, and making my artworks more accessible to a wider audience,” said Philip Colbert. “I love the idea of bringing surrealism into the everyday. If simple things can be re-imagined and reinvented then so can the structures and systems in which we live. Surrealism invites us to dream of better futures”, said Charlotte Colbert.

Housed on the ground floor at The Conran Shop, Sloane Square, the pop-up is split into two room-sets, showcasing each artist’s symbolic style and iconic design pieces. Charlotte’s romantic and whimsical collection is offset by Philip’s primary colourful pop art creations.

Mark Upstone, Head of Creative at The Conran Shop says, “Both artists have brought their respective iconic motif and style into the space, Philip his infamous Lobster and Charlotte her Eye – the pop-up was designed around these two symbols, creating a vibrant, fun and inspirational environment. It complements The Conran Shop’s collections in an unexpected yet exceptional way”.

The last few years have accelerated Charlotte Colbert’s already successful course through the art world and film industry. In 2022, she released her first feature film, a feminist parable She Will, which she directed. The film, starring Malcolm McDowell, Rupert Everett, Alice Krige and Kota Eberhart, received outstanding critical acclaim in the national and international media, including four stars in The Guardian, The Evening Standard, The Times, Empire and was picked as critic’s choice by The New York Times.

Last October 2023 during Frieze art fair, Charlotte followed-up her movie’s success with an art exhibition at Fitzrovia Chapel, London. Dreamland Sirens was a solo show that included monumental sculptures, a soundscape collaboration with Isabel Waller-Bridge and performances by and performances centred around her eye icon: “a protective talisman and invitation to visualise positive futures.”

Philip Colbert too has been a considerable force on the global art scene. The pop artist has taken over European cities (Rome, 2022), sent a giant lobster on a barge down canals in Venice as part of the Biennale (2022) and masterminded multiple public art spectacles, wonderlands and lobster skate parks alongside museum shows in various destinations across South East Asia, including Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Taipei, to name but a few.

Philip has also collaborated with AS ROMA, unveiling a football kit for the team, a giant lobster at their stadium and a charity project with the football giants for The Red Cross. Earlier this year, he did a takeover of the MANN, National Museum of Naples, creating new works inspired by key pieces from their iconic collection.

Now Charlotte and Philip bring their individual iconographies to The Conran Shop. As storytellers, their key motifs, themes and fascination with symbolism is brought to life through their furniture, curios and homeware. With Salvador Dali as their reference point – an artist who created iconic furniture pieces including a sofa based on Mae West’s lips and a telephone (in shape of a lobster) as well as paintings – their collection showcases their own personal contemporary riffs on surrealism.

Fully designed for living, playful lobsters and totemic eyes now have playful, functional and practical uses. Charlotte and Philip Colbert are also known for their East London home and studio, Maison Colbert. Described by US Vogue as a “theatre fun house”, their home is a mash-up between Wes Anderson, Tim Walker and a bohemian warehouse. Charlotte and Philip designed bespoke pieces exclusively for Maison Colbert, for which they have received a myriad of enquiries. For the first time, consumers will now be able to shop a selection of their design collection from a physical retail space, at The Conran Shop.

Websites: theconranshop.com | charlottecolbert.com | philipcolbert.com | maisoncolbert.com

Cover image credit: Andrew Farrar 

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