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 Jewelry brand Miansai has teamed up with digital artist Gab Bois to unveil a series of dynamic art installations that will debut at Art Basel Miami Beach in December. Appropriately launching during one of South Florida’s most exciting annual celebrations that welcomes an influx of globally recognized artists and creatives, Bois will prepare two creative photographs that will feature and highlight the jewelry label’s pieces. At press time, the details of the project are still tightly under wraps, though Miansai’s founder and design visionary Michael Saiger has teased that the art pieces will feature groundbreaking concepts that will allow viewers to see jewelry in a new light. Miansai, a worldwide brand known for its elevated take on everyday jewelry pieces, has effortlessly mesh its design ethos with the Canadian artist’s boundary-pushing oeuvre. It’s a revolutionary collaboration for both parties, though not Miansai’s first attempt to shake up its routine. In the past, Miansai has partnered with sportswear brand Fila, clothier J.Crew and online purveyor Mr. Porter to create innovative pieces that showcase the jewelry company’s high-end minimalistic focus on essential, approachable pieces while also speaking to a wider audience. In the notable collaboration with Fila, Miansai helped put its signature on two sneakers, placing one of its silver screw cuff on the shoe's back counter, as well as another sneaker with laces that are a nod to the jewelry brand's iconic rope bracelets. “Over the years, we’ve been very strategic in who and what brands we partner with,” Saiger says. “We’ve been consistent in working with organizations who see our vision and want to celebrate it, as well as expand upon our work to see how it can be pushed forward to a broader viewership.” For her part, Bois, who has amassed more than 654,000 followers on Instagram, has been wowing audiences since breaking onto the art scene a few years ago. Her subversive photographs feature her recognizable wit and whimsy, often making viewers do a double-take to really uncover what each picture entails. Everyday objects are given new purpose, and first glances are never what they seem with Bois’ work. For example, what initially appears like a form-fitting long-sleeved blouse made of leather is actually a top comprised of photo negatives strewn together in a pattern that it boggles the mind and leaves viewers wondering how is this level of detail even possible. Bois’ past collaborations includes her union with Gelcare, a Montreal-based gel polish brand who tapped the artist to create campaign images for a recent collection. The campaign featured 10 photographs that highlighted all 10 nail polish colors from the collection. Each photo showcased Bois' trademark style of transforming mundane items into thought-provoking images and moments. Notable features included a bright red polish transformed into sashimi, a candy apple green next to a purse made from wasabi peas, and a pretty pink hue topped with a Polly Pocket toy. “Gab is an incredible artist whose witty photographs are simultaneously mind-bending and beautiful,” says Saiger. “The art and jewelry worlds will be blown away with these works.”
Miansai and Bois will debut several concept pieces that will involve casting and manufacturing these concepts, as well as showing them digitally. After a special launch lunch during Art Basel Miami Beach, the new partnership will show the works digitally and at Soho Beach House Miami. In an era where contemporary art is being celebrated around the world, the Miansai and Bois collaboration comes at an opportune time. Creativity has been a core tenet of Miansai’s spirit, and with its latest partnership, it will only be strengthened.