OM Editions is a mother-daughter design studio founded by Orianna Tufano Morrison and Patricia Morrison established in 2020 at the height of the pandemic.
Tell us a little more about yourselves. When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in this industry?
We always wanted to start a business together. We used to discuss finding a way to consolidate our entrepreneurial efforts. We decided to fuse our talents and passions (Patty’s interior design expertise and Orianna’s artist liaison background) to create an online platform that featured our own line of limited edition furniture as well as special homeware artist objects to our selection.
Where are you both from and what is the arts community like there? How has your upbringing shaped what you do in the arts today?
PM: I have been in the United States for 25 years with roots in Venezuela. I was very touched by the influence that Venezuelan visual artists have in the art industry worldwide. Artists such as Carlos Cruz Diez, Jesus Soto, Gego, Alirio Palacios, Lia Bermudez among others really stood out for their great artistic ability and international trajectory. Also during many years of the so-called bonanza in Venezuela many art fairs took place in Caracas becoming the apex of the contemporary art world in South America.
OTM: I am also Venezuelan, although I’ve lived most of my life abroad between cities in the US, Europe and Asia. In speaking of cultural influences, I would like to reference 2 masterminds: Carlos Cruz-Diez, specifically his Chromosaturations works – an artificial habitat formed by three color chambers where the artist colored space instead of form. On entering, the spectator is immersed in a ‘completely monochrome’ reality activating and awakening notions of color, who becomes aware of its material and physical existence. In this impressive work of art, color assumes a sense of space, generating patterns of thought and sensitivity. Another South American artist (although not Venezuelan) who has influenced our Edition 01 furniture collection is the Brazilian architect whose form follows the feminine: Oscar Niemayer. His choreography is not just of shapes, but of the movement of people through them. In his best works you are called to interact with them, to take part in a play of architectural and human motion. He favored curves and abstract forms over straight lines and inflexible shapes “created by man”. He reinvented Brazilian architecture.
What was your first job? What is a lesson from that experience that you’ve carried with you?
PM: My first job in the industry was designing a piece of wall art. Not only did I design it, but I produced the piece and executed the installation. The curiosity to discover noble materials and the magic of creating a product from its imaginary perception.
OTM: During the years I lived in New York, I worked at Bosco Sodi’s studio in Brooklyn. There I learned about the powerful meaning of 2 Japanese words, philosophies really. Yūgen, a phrase to describe amazing and overpowering beauty; the profound mystery and temporality of the universe – with a focus on natural materials, expressive and serendipitous creation. The second is the concept of Wabi-Sabi, in which imperfections are celebrated. It is a teaching that embraces impermanence. OM Editions was created with both of these in mind, we focus on the process of creation which is therapeutic.
Together, you founded OM Editions, a furniture and interior design studio. Tell us more about OM Editions and what the day-to-day looks like for you.
PM + OTM: For us, OM Editions is a burst of creation and design, as well as of alliances and bonding. It is where our love for art and design comes to life and materializes. Our mission is to create a more harmonious world, one home at a time.
At OM Editions, less is more. We believe in timeless quality and a limited production process instead of mass production. Each piece is custom made by renowned artisans using durable materials which allow them to endure, live, remain, or subsist in time. We trust the origin of the materials that we have chosen as well as the uniqueness of their lines and shapes. We trust the blend of the materials and the unifying trend of this first collection, Edition 01. Producing a limited number of designs allows the buyer to celebrate that acquisition of a one-of-a-kind piece that will only be on the market for a limited time.
Did you always know you wanted to work together? How did this studio come to be?
PM: Coming from the interior design and real estate industry, I felt the need to create an environment where I could explore my full understanding of space and design. My background in real estate combined with experience in design has afforded a specialized understanding of the interplay between exterior and interior spaces.
OTM: I consider myself a contemporary art and design enthusiast bringing together the worlds of creative management and business strategy with a holistic understanding of innovation and practicality. I have a unique international background and have lived in several cities across the globe: NYC, London, Bali, Madrid and Paris.
What is one of your favorite things that you’ve designed together?
PM + OTM: If we have to decide for ourselves, our favorites would be the WaveWoo series because we are in love with the wavy wooden base, the colorful reflection of the PlexiParaban when the light hits it, the GlobeWoo for its minimalism, and the Gothic Armoire for its architectural influence. Each piece in the collection is welcoming and comfortable, in a perfect state of hygge.
What is one of the weirdest things you have had to do on the job?
PM + OTM: As entrepreneurs, the strangest experience we’ve had was the sensation of stepping into the unknown and facing the unexpected in every aspect of the business. Nothing is impossible.
What is the best piece of advice you can give about working in the art world?
PM: Patience. Practice: your eye may change from time to time. Don’t compare: Looking at other artists’ work for inspiration can be beneficial, but don’t compare your work to others and let that bring you down.
OTM: Observe. Observe the process of creation and business. Take something from everyone who inspires you.
What is your favorite room in your home and why?
PM + OTM: Definitely the Dining Room, where meals and memories are made, it brings people together.
What are you most excited for this year at OM Editions or in the art and design world as a whole?
PM: Placing our limited edition pieces around the world has certainly been the most exciting part of this year’s evolution. Also, having like-minded people on our team will help us thrive and have more impact on society and the design world.
OTM: Growing and having more showrooms across cities like New York and Paris.
How do you think the design world can become more transparent?
PM: It’s about openly sharing the process, the creation, how we work and why we do the things we do.
OTM: Sharing our story, our process as well as the challenges we face.
If you could own work by 5 different artists/craftspeople, who would be in your collection?
PM: An Carlos Cruz Diez artwork, a pair of Soriana lounge chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, any object by Patricia Urquiola, a James Turell in the entrance of my home, and Lee Broom lighting.
OTM: A Chris Wolston chair, the Carlo Giorgi leaf lamp, any De Sede sofa, the Gae Aulenti Quadrifoglio and an original photograph of Frida Kahlo.
