In Conversation With: Tannaz Oroumchi

At Chaplins, we're not just about individual pieces of furniture; we want to be able to help you bring the entire setting together. The same is true for our own spaces; they need to feel complete before we can welcome design enthusiasts through our doors. One way we achieve this is? Artwork. We place it carefully around our showroom to complement the icons of design.

One such artist is Tannaz Oroumchi, a multidisciplinary creative who uses her architectural knowledge and love of the collective human experience to create stunning architectural and abstract artworks, among other pieces on display throughout our space. Her work explores the relationship between space, emotion and human experience, translating architectural thinking into a distinctive artistic language. An exploration of form, texture, light and composition allows the true depth and shape of cities to shine through. We sat down with her to ask about her journey in combining the two and what she enjoys most about them.

Hi Tannaz, thanks for joining us at the showroom. It's great to have you here, surrounded by some of your best art and some of our favourite designs.

"Thanks for having me, it's a pleasure to be here"

For you, what was the starting point for combining architecture and art?

"For me, architecture and art were never truly separate disciplines. Both are concerned with creating experiences and shaping perception. The starting point was a desire to explore ideas that couldn't always be realised within the practical constraints of architecture, while still drawing on architectural thinking about space, materiality and human experience.

Paintings, sculpting, architecture. These things are fused."

On the architectural side of things, do you think architecture is an underrated form of creative expression?

"Yes, because many people primarily see architecture as a functional discipline. Yet it influences how we feel, interact, remember and understand our place in the world."

Much of your art is centred on cityscapes. Is there one in particular that you cherish more than any other, and if so, why?

"I've always been drawn to cities that are experienced on foot, so places like London and New York resonate deeply with me. Of course, they are architecturally rich, but what I cherish most is the intensity of human experience they contain. I love being surrounded by people, movement, and the unpredictability of urban life. I find it energising. There's something fascinating about observing how people occupy space, interact with one another and navigate the environments around them."

"As an architect, I am designing for people. Cities offer an endless opportunity to understand how our surroundings influence behaviour, emotion and experience. I am particularly interested in the relationship between individuals and the collective, how we coexist and connect, why we sometimes withdraw and how architecture can shape those interactions."

Is there a particular city that you want to emulate next?

"A personal connection certainly enriches the work, but I'm often inspired by qualities rather than specific locations. A city has to have the right density and rhythm"

Are there any particular materials that you're fondest of using?

"I'm drawn to materials that reveal depth through the spectrums of light and touch. Stone, plaster, timber, metal and textured surfaces all have a timeless quality and age beautifully.

When creating your earlier art with those materials, you tended to work with predominantly neutral palettes. Is there a reason behind that?

"Neutral tones allow form, texture, light and shadow to take centre stage. While colour can be powerful, it can also overpower. By reducing it, I can focus attention on the spatial qualities and emotional atmosphere of a piece. The subtle variations within neutral tones often reveal more the longer you spend with them.

Regarding the pieces currently at your showroom, which are slightly earlier works and mainly hand-drawn black-and-white, they really allowed me to concentrate my attention on the extensive exploration of urbanism."

What are you working on that you're excited about at the moment?

"I'm always dreaming and making; it is a continuous part of my practice and often the way I begin to explore new ideas. At the moment, I'm working on a new collection of drawings that investigates concepts of matter, emergence, and the relationship between individual elements and larger systems."

"The work is quite vibrant and explores these ideas through colour, texture and composition. What fascinates me is how complex forms and experiences can emerge from the interaction of simple components, and I'm interested in how these ideas might translate from drawing into architecture."

If you had one dream design project, money no object, what would it be?

"To build a place that tests one of the questions that sits at the heart of all my work. Can architecture change the quality of human experience? We invest enormous resources in buildings that help us work faster, consume more, all with higher efficiency. Yet we rarely design spaces dedicated to cultivating reflection, awareness and connection. I want to build an environment capable of leaving a lasting impression on the way people think, feel and engage with the world."

Why do you think it is important to have your art and furniture/design combined in a single space? Does it enhance the creative experience?

"I think art, architecture, furniture and design all contribute to the way we experience a space. They shouldn’t necessarily be considered independently, because together they create an atmosphere, a dialogue and an emotional response.

For me, a space becomes much more interesting when different creative disciplines come together. A piece of art can transform the feeling of a room, just as the furniture, materials, light and architecture can influence how we perceive the artwork.

It’s about creating a complete experience rather than simply displaying individual objects. When everything works together, the space becomes something to engage with, to discover and, hopefully, to feel something within."

Finally, what is your fondest memory of exhibiting somewhere?

"I’ve been fortunate to exhibit in some wonderful places, but one of the things I find most rewarding is seeing how people respond to the work in a physical space.

I particularly remember exhibiting at the Royal Society of Arts in London. It was a wonderful opportunity to bring my work into an architectural setting with such a rich history and sense of character.

What stays with me most is the interaction between the artwork, the building and the people experiencing it. I love the idea that someone might stop, look at a piece and find something entirely different in it from what I initially imagined. That exchange is one of the most rewarding aspects of exhibiting."

Thanks so much for joining us!

"Thanks for having me."