Karman Liang
Conversations in Color: Living Room Vignettes
Prompt: The assignment was to create a drawing, sized between 18x24 and 30x20 inches, that incorporates a grid as a structural framework, employs a Gestalt principle, and follows either a defined color scheme or a black-and-white palette. We could choose to work in either traditional or digital media, and were asked to research three artists whose work would inform our conceptual and visual approach.
This is a series of living room vignettes that reflect my personal design style while exploring color, texture, and composition. The work is influenced by Kurt Schwitters’ collage techniques and Stuart Davis’ bold, atmospheric compositions. It centers on the Gestalt principle of similarity, using recurring elements like sofas, light fixtures, and coffee tables, reimagined through variations in form, color, and pattern to give each room a distinct personality. Color serves as a unifying force through a triadic palette of green, orange, and magenta. The grid structure provides a visual framework that organizes the piece through repetition and rhythm, with the layout carefully curated to balance visual weight and avoid disrupting flow. I used collage and oil pastel, sourcing imagery from nine interior design magazines to achieve a clean-edged, realistic look inspired by Davis, while applying oil pastel to contrast that precision with expressive, tactile texture that evokes a tension between flatness and movement. My design inspiration draws from mid- century modern aesthetics in Europe and the Americas, along with influences from Japanese interiors. The project became an imaginative celebration of interior design as a language of identity and a reflection of my passion for interiors and their emotional resonance.
