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Damien Grivas in the restaurant at Marble. The macramé screen is his work. -
Damien also made the relief wall panels behind the bar.
INTERVIEWED BY Mila Crewe-Brown IMAGES Dook
Damien Grivas says he will do just about anything (legal) for cash. We caught up with this leading creative, who is known for his ability to craft any installation his clients come up with.
Start at the beginning…
I left home to start my career as an artist after studying graphic design, sculpture and painting, but I wasn’t making much money. A friend asked me to help him do paint finishes for R80 a day, which I did for about four years. During that time I started playing with silicone and rubber, and developed a home decor range that I sold at flea markets.
What was your big break?
About 15 years ago, Maira Koutsoudakis saw my work and asked me to supply her company Life. She then asked if I could make a range of items (sculptures, pod lights and so on) for North Island, a resort in the Seychelles. Naturally I said yes to it all, not knowing a thing!
Name three career highlights.
A gold leaf wall at the concept shop Collective by Charles Greig, a dowel-stick relief eye I did for Herman Smit Optometrists, and my work for the David Higgs restaurant Marble.
Tell us about the macramé screen you made for Marble.
I was briefed to create a simple black background in front of which a theatrical Harrods-inspired fruit and food display could be shown off. I designed a screen of knotted black chord – a job that took our team of three 12 days to complete.
And the relief behind the bar?
It is an abstract graphic of cows in grass. Since solid bronze would have been pricey, I had to think outside the box. Eight Supawood panels were cut with a CNC router. I then gave them a black enamel base coat and added five layers of glaze to build up the bronze effect.
Read more about Marble and see a full gallery of the space here.
