Sidewall, Zerkalo

Zerkalo is a surreal image that challenges the historic associations of wallpaper. Wallpaper is traditionally perceived to be warm and inviting. Zerkalo, however, keeps the viewer on the edge, as if being watched by the eye on the handbag; the disconcerting handbag is framed as a work of art. Designer Txell Miras refers to this effect as creating “a dialogue between object and subject, a game between the observer and the observed.” The imagery draws on mid-19th-century wallpaper designs, in which trompe l’oeil frames frequently contained printed or painted scenes. Miras is a fashion designer with a degree in fine arts from the Universitat de Barcelona and a graduate degree in fashion design from the Domus Academy in Milan. Awards recognizing her design achievements include: the Tokyo Grand Prix Fashion Awards finalist (2002), the Italian Chamber of Fashion award for most promising young designer (2002), the Lancôme award for best young designer at Barcelona Fashion Week (2005), and the Barcelona és Moda award for best fashion professional (2006). Many of her designs are influenced by the visual arts, literature, and cinema.