Meeting with Orfeo Tagiuri
Wish Cards, founder & creative director
Meet Orfeo Tagiuri, the creative director behind the unique, ritualistic brand, Wish Cards. Based in East London, Orfeo seamlessly blends his background in literature and painting to create work that catches the eye while feeding the mind. In this interview, he shares the accidental brilliance behind his company’s concept, the importance of “thinking sideways” in his creative process, and how poetry and the “micro details” of life constantly inspire his dual pursuits of drawing and design. Read on to discover the true power of a simple, intentional wish.
Hello Orfeo, how are you? Can you tell us a bit about yourself, who you are, where you’re based, and what you do?
Hello, I’m very well thank you. I’m based in East London and do a ton of different things that usually revolve around drawing and animation.
What was your academic background, and how has it influenced your artistic approach?
I studied literature at Stanford, California, for my undergrad and then did a masters in painting at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Most of the things I make these days are a combination of words and images so the two distinct educations each exert their own influence quite visibly. I guess I am always aware of the importance of storytelling in the visual arts.
How would you describe the evolution of your artistic work over time? What are the recurring themes that can be found in your pieces?
My work always evolves in themes and collections. I’ll have multiple ideas running at the same time throughout the studio. Sometimes they cross pollinate but mostly they just continue to grow until I feel they are ready to share. For instance, I have an ongoing series of drawings of people who came last in the Olympic 100 metres race and besides this I have about 100 still life drawings of coffee cups. Both will eventually be released in a public format.
How do you approach the combination of text and illustrations in your work? What is the relationship between the visual and the written words in your creative process?
I think my work is at its best when I’m thinking sideways. By which I mean laterally but I also think that before bed, when I’m semi-lucid a lot of good ideas come to me so sideways is perhaps a better word. The image is almost always secondary to language for me but sometimes when I’m stuck an image can be a seed for a whole new idea.
There’s a certain romanticism, nostalgia in your work, both visually and thematically. How do you integrate a poetic sensibility into your art?
The only time I really get worried is when I’m thinking too much about the future. I find if I create from the present moment poetry naturally integrates itself. For instance, at this exact moment I’m sitting in a cafe as it is closing. All of the staff are tidying things away. I’m reminded of a Japanese sand garden where each day it is perfectly raked and then the wind and footprints destroy the order until it is combed over again.
Could you tell us about your sources of inspiration? Are there any particular places, people, emotions, or readings that have a significant influence on you?
The authors James Tate and David Berman are two pretty potent influences for me. I’d recommend listening to James Tate read his poetry - it’s more enjoyable than reading it and he mostly reads his later poems, which are my favorite. Both writers are really masterful when it comes to observing the micro details of our lives and finding meaning in them. If you can find meaning and poetry in the little details imagine how content you would be!
How does your relationship with nature influence your work?
I live in London so I don’t spend that much time in nature. Sometimes I’ll walk barefoot through the park and I think that serves as a kind of psychological palate cleanser. As Emerson pointed out, I’m pretty sure you can learn almost anything worth learning by looking closely at nature. But like I said I’m in the city so I’m not particularly wise.
Wish Cards is a London-based creative studio that you founded with your partner, Hani Asfari. How did the idea for this project come about, and what made you feel the need to create this brand?
The first Wish Card was a happy accident. I had graduated art school and was experimenting with lots of little concepts including an artwork to burn after seeing. In my studio, I poked a hole in a small piece of paper and threaded through a wick that I had taken from a tea light candle. I expected the paper to go up in flames but was disappointed to find that when the wick burnt down it fizzled out leaving the paper untouched. I put that ‘failed’ construction aside and moved onto the next idea.
At the time, I was living with a good friend. That particular year we celebrated his birthday at home and I, of course, forgot to get a birthday cake. Our last minute solution was to stick several birthday candles into a banana so he could make his wish. Back in the studio the next day I spotted the ‘failed’ semi-burnt artwork and the Wish Cards idea arrived immediately.
The concept of Wish Card is to mark a moment of intention through a calm, meaningful ritual by lighting a wick. Can you explain the philosophy behind this ritual and why it is so important to the brand?
We want to reaffirm the belief that our hopes and wishes matter and have the potential to influence the world in miraculous ways.
For us, this ritual evokes a return to the simplicity and wonder of childhood. Was this an emotion you particularly wanted to evoke for users of Wish Cards?
I don’t think I consciously considered childhood when coming up with Wish Cards but anything that can conjure up that wonder and innocence sounds great to me!
Your collection of Wish Cards includes several categories, such as the "Originals," "Classic," "Zodiac," and "Occasion" collections. How do you decide on the themes and designs for each new collection?
We don’t see ourselves as being part of the ecosystem of traditional gift cards. We believe that wishing a beautiful intention-setting gesture should be possible at all times and can really mean a lot to people. We want our collections to create connections for as many people as possible in as wide an array of moments.
You have collaborated with several brands and organisations - Blumenhaus now offers its own Wish Card made in collaboration with you. How do you choose your partners, and how important are these collaborations for the brand's development?
We are very careful with the collaborations we choose. It’s vital that each collaboration reflects our values I mentioned above. We are so happy and excited to work with people like Blumenhaus who seem to dance to the same heart song and have such a wonderful community.
Can you tell us about your future projects for your personal artistic practice, and where do you see the Wish Card brand in the years to come?
Our intention is to create objects that pull people into the present moment, fostering friendship and meaningful connections. It is really moving for me to imagine all the hope and good intentions people are putting out into the universe with every wish!
Wish Cards @wish.cards @orfeot
www.wishcards.studio
www.orfeotagiuri.com
Lifestyle pictures by Hana Snow
Workshop / portraits pictures by Zaineb Abelque