The master of all trades

American interdisciplinary artist Daniel Arsham has worked across a multitude of design spheres — mastering the science of social media along the way — yet, he says, the physical world remains the best place to be.

“When I’m presented with new challenges, I feel more engaged. I’m always discovering through collaborations,” muses the American interdisciplinary artist Daniel Arsham. Since graduating from the prestigious Cooper Union in New York in 2003 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, the 42-year-old has deftly traversed the intersection of art and a multiverse of design disciplines spanning fashion, automotive, interiors and, most recently, technology through a partnership with global smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi. The collaboration saw him create the Xiaomi 12T Pro Daniel Arsham Edition, reimagining the ubiquitous smartphone as a timeless sculptural artefact.

Not only is this kind of artist partnership a first for Xiaomi globally, it also involves considerations distinct from Arsham’s previous collaborations. For Kim Jones’ Spring–Summer 2020 Dior Men collection, for example, models moved through a Pepto-Bismol-pink show space, circumventing sculptures Arsham had carved from giant gemstones — all inspired by the designs of Christian Dior, objects from the couturier’s home and the Dior logo itself. The collaboration with the French house extended Arsham’s Future Relics series (2013–2018), which imagines everyday objects — alarm clocks, radios, Polaroid cameras and keyboards among them — as archaeological discoveries from a future dystopian world.

“Some of the first pieces that I made were vintage computers, cameras and phones — more specifically a payphone — something my generation can remember using that became antiquated almost overnight,” Arsham says of his fictional archaeology concept. “My work engages with people’s ideas about the present so they consider how their own era will be interpreted through the objects they use.”

While many artists experience creative block, it is not something Arsham suffers from — quite the opposite, in fact. “I have too many projects to complete in my life,” he says. On the rare occasions when he can take a break, he heads to the Caribbean island of St Barts. “It’s my favourite place to look at the ocean. I love hiking, and you can drive around the island and experience different types of beaches. I grew up in Miami, so the landscape feels familiar to me.”

Arsham’s days begin in the gym without fail — stretching, followed by free weights and 30 minutes on an exercise bike — and he has a particular affinity for basketball. His sculptures of towering basketball totems, jerseys and jackets in bronze and blue calcite are proof of his devotion to the sport, not to mention Le Modulor du Basketball (2022), a playful exhibition at MAMO La Cité Radieuse in Marseille that transformed the gallery into a basketball court daubed in colour blocks synonymous with the architect Le Corbusier.

Alongside collaborations with brands and international gallery exhibitions, Arsham keeps several other worlds in orbit. There is Objects for Living — a furniture line derived from pieces he created for a Norman Jaffe-designed house he once owned on Long Island — and the collaborative design studio Snarkitecture, which he co-founded to “investigate the boundaries between disciplines”.

To fuel his creativity in both his Manhattan studio and at home, Arsham listens to music constantly. “I don't have much control over what we play — somebody else always has the aux cord,” he says, half-joking. Among the favourites currently on rotation are the soundtrack to Sam Levinson’s HBO series Euphoria and Drake’s album Honestly, Nevermind.

He is also making his way through Edward Enninful’s memoir A Visible Man, in which the former British Vogue editor-in-chief reflects on his journey through the fashion industry while championing inclusion and representation.

“Understanding Edward’s background, hearing his views of London and New York in the 1980s and 1990s, and that whole intersection of fashion and art — it is super interesting,” Arsham says.

Although raised in Florida, Arsham was born in Ohio and has been a fan of the Cleveland Cavaliers for as long as he can remember. In 2020, he embarked on one of his most personal collaborations to date as the team’s creative director. The Cavaliers’ owner, Daniel Gilbert — an early collector of Arsham’s work — invited him to consult on everything from shirt and court design to social media and branding.

“I’m not afraid of angering fans because I am one, and I understand the team’s design language,” Arsham says. “They already had in-house sports-focused creative teams; now we are connecting to culture more broadly.”

Sports, fashion, interiors, automotive — there are few fields of design untouched by Arsham’s artistic oeuvre. On the horizon is a mid-career survey at California’s Orange County Museum of Art, bringing together works across these disciplines. “The jerseys I designed for the Cavaliers will be displayed alongside paintings, sculptures, and the collaborations with Porsche and Dior — it is all blended together,” he says.

While the internet may “define our times”, as Arsham puts it, and platforms such as Instagram have been instrumental in communicating his work to his 1.3 million followers and beyond, physical experiences “cannot be approximated in the metaverse”. Never has an exhibition opening sounded so compelling.