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Belarusian artist partners with Newcastle-based designer to launch creative new collaboration

GRAIN, a creative Newcastle based designer and artist collaboration, has launched its first product range.

Based at Lime Street, Ouseburn, GRAIN is a collaboration between Newcastle based furniture designer and maker Michael Armstrong and Belarusian artist/designer Anya Kovalieva.

When Anya, who developed her studies in Sweden, met Michael he was already an established designer and it seems the pair instantly impressed each other, sharing ideals as well as their appreciations for art. They began working together at the beginning of the year.

GRAIN focus on producing bespoke interior objects with commitment to natural materials and traditional methods of woodwork.

Anya and Michael are committed to promoting a philosophy of sustainable, timeless and humble design practice, using only FSC certified hardwoods for their produce.

Aesthetically the company aim to achieve a balance between a modern, industrial feel and elegant, refined lines, unfettered by trends and fashions, producing designs to last and be loved for decades.

The workshop itself is in an old factory building that was formerly a flax mill, designed by renowned architect John Dobson as the city’s first fireproof building, now occupied by over 40 artists, makers and designers.

GRAIN’s first product is a range of hand crafted trays (GrT01), influenced by traditional Japanese woodwork and bearing a stamp of modernist aesthetic.

Made from solid wood, each tray is unique and incorporates abstract surface textures and clean angled sides, making it appear to float weightlessly.

The products have been manufactured from European oak, British ash, American walnut and the more exotic African iroko.

GrT01 retails at £35 and a line of interior products is now set to follow and succeed the initial success.

It certainly seems very apt that Anya and Michael locate themselves on Lime Street, one of Newcastle’s most thriving creative environments.

Anya Kovalieva said: “Ouseburn itself has a different atmosphere to the rest of Newcastle. It’s a picturesque environment that’s housing a lot of small creative organisations.

“It’s an incredible place to work at, both because of the atmosphere of the location, and the fact that there’s so much creativity happening in one place.

“It brings with it events like Open Studios, Ouseburn festival, Late Shows, which exposes our work to the public.

“We have artists and makers coming over for tea and we can discuss our work, politics etc. There’s also a gallery right at the entrance which brings in an influx of fresh art into the building.”

Anya told Bdaily: “We are already working on the next product – a coffee table and side tables that share the same aesthetic as the trays and we are planning on making some lighting as well.

“Once the collection is finished we will take it out into the world: design exhibitions in London, perhaps New York.”

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