For over thirty years Swatch has led art movement on the wrist. From pop culture to fine culture, the Swatch Art Special Collection invites contemporary artists from every genre to display their unique artistry on an iconic, ticking canvas – the Swatch. Working in close relationship with painters, musicians, designers, and other progressive artists, Swatch has wooed the likes of Mika, Olaf Hajek, and many more, to illustrate their personal interpretations and love of ‘art for the wrist’ in the form of a one-of-a-kind, special edition Swatch. Alexander Gorlizki, virtuoso creator of intricate miniatures and visionary abstraction, is the latest artist to add his special touch to the Swatch Art Special tradition.
British-born and working in New York and Jaipur, India, Alexander Gorlizki works in a diverse range of materials from paper and cloth to photography, sculpture and video. His style is affectionately surreal and playful, often depicting whimsical iconographies with geometric patterns, mixing traditional Eastern and Western designs and colour schemes to create elaborate works of art. Gorlizki’s best-known works stem from his self-described “obsession” with Indian miniature paintings – a centuries old tradition that he has reinterpreted with a unique vision. The artistic process is a collaborative one, involving master miniaturist painter, Riyaz Uddin and his assistants in an atelier Gorlizki established in Jaipur in the late 1990’s. Once designed and drawn, Gorlizki sends his renditions, or works alongside Uddin, who details them with a single hair-tipped brush.
In developing SLIDING DOORS (SUOZ185S) – a new Swatch Art Special Limited Edition, Gorlizki took his inspiration from the Jali, the classical Indian architectural form of ornamental screen carving, typically done in wood, stone, and marble. Gorlizki’s geometric patterns create an intricate puzzle enriched with mesmerizing detail and a modern, vibrant palette. The interlocking designs cover every surface of the front, with engraving on the timepiece and even along its edges, buckle and loop.
The artist extends the same fascinating visual elements to the Special Packaging with a montage of illustriously decorated geometric structures. Hinting at the name of this wristwatch, the cover of the eye-catching packaging playfully slides open to reveal the ticking masterpiece within.
Gorlizki states that “collaborating with Swatch presented an irresistible challenge to create a highly contemporary, wearable design that still utilizes handmade skills and traditional forms.” Limited and numbered to a cleverly uneven 4,567 pieces, there are hints of Gorlizki in every detail.
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