Leslie Oschmann's latest range of shoulder bags are wearable works of art, and we don't mean that figuratively. They're made from vintage oil paintings, which the Amsterdam-based designer salvages from markets and auction houses in Holland and Belgium. This isn't the first time she's turned artwork into something functional. Originally from the United States—her father is Dutch—Oschmann has adapted paintings for use in chairs, tables, cabinets, and even pillows. "As I was playing with the material I began to explore other possibilities," she tells Ecouterre. "I liked the idea of carrying a painting as a bag and, when not in use, hung on the wall as a dimensional painting of sorts."
MOVING GALLERY
Each one-of-a-kind carryall, Oschmann says, tells a story with its distinctive patterns of age and wear. “I suppose there is an argument for critics who think I am abusing paintings,” she admits. “The way I look at it, I am using paintings that would otherwise never see the light of day.”
Each one-of-a-kind carryall, Oschmann tells Ecouterre, tells a story with its distinctive patterns of age and wear.
Still, Oschmann has her limits. “I personally have a vast collection of paintings that I would never use for anything other than their original intent, because they mean something to me,” she says. “Someone else may look at the same painting and wonder why I don’t use it for a bag—[it's an] ‘eye of the beholder’ kind of thing!”
+ Oil Painting Shoulder Bag €275
