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Lucas & Arthur Jussen

Album covers

Dutch Masters

Ode to Dutch Composers

photos Marco Borggreve

ARTHUR & LUCAS JUSSEN

The Russian Album: the Kandinsky Clash

Inspired by eight studies for Concentric Circles by Wassily Kandinsky, the cover art for The Russian Album by Arthur & Lucas Jussen features a unified work of tapestry and couture. A three-way dialogue between Russian modernism, sound and materiality.

For the cover art of this album, Lucas and Arthur requested a vestimentary reference to a cherished book featuring images by Russian painters from their parents' collection. The process began with selecting an image from Wassily Kandinsky's early Bauhaus period. The chosen aquarelle consists of eight studies for Concentric Circles. After careful deliberation, one of the most fundamental studies was selected, featuring the three primary colours—yellow, blue and red—set against a black foundation.

Inspired by this image, a tapestry was conceived, centered around the concentric circle motif. The suits worn by Lucas and Arthur in the photograph were designed to reflect the composition of the background. A key challenge in this design was ensuring that the ensemble, including both the composition and the garments, aligned harmoniously so that all elements would unify and fit.

Compositions: reimagining Kandinsky into fabric and form

The tapestry was hand-crafted from large pieces of wool crepe material, cut to form the contours of the image. These were placed onto a square (2.30 x 2.30 meters) of black wool ottoman, chosen specifically to reference the horizontal ribbed structure of the original aquarelle paper used by Kandinsky. To emphasize the watercolour effects of the original piece, embroidered areas were crafted in multiple, blending colours. These embroidered details move fluidly across the fabric, resembling garlands that dance along the coloured textile. This design evokes the sensation of musical notes scattered across sheet music, reinforcing the concept of elements coming together to form a composition.

The tapestry served as the foundation for the suit designs. The jacket cuts closely follow the outlines of the colour fields. These bespoke creations were tailored from the same textiles used in the tapestry, with embroidered details that mirror and accentuate the patterns found within it. The result is a visual and material integration between the garments and their tapestry backdrop—a three-way dialogue between Russian modernism, sound and materiality.

BESPOKE | performing arts