Solange is answering our decor prayers by launching a limited-edition collection of Small Matter Art Objects designed by the singer for Saint Heron in collaboration with Philadelphia-based glass artist Jason McDonald. Saint Heron is a multidisciplinary platform and institution that seeks to amplify vital voices and works in art, design, music, and literature. Saint Heron remains dedicated to empowering future art practitioners by reverencing the spiritual act of creating and spotlighting artists’ unwavering devotion to the intergenerational language of expression.
Launching on June 20th, the dual collection materializes the palpable transformation of sand and fire into unique glass art objects. The collection of art objects will launch under Saint Heron’s commerce project Small Matter, dedicated to showcasing the sculptural and architectural vigor at the intersection of design and contemporary art. The collection of glass art objects features a selection of five pieces hand-blown by McDonald in his Philadelphia studio. The Small Matter art objects will be offered in 198 quantities, and each one-of-a-kind functional sculpture will reflect the design language of Saint Heron and the institution’s mission of intentionality and purpose.
On June 14, 2023, Knowles and Saint Heron threw a launch party in New York City to celebrate her glassware line for tastemakers and influencers, complete with a Luther Vandross-inspired installation titled “A House is Not a Home.” Guests enjoyed the cocktails while fellowshipping and observing the new collection.
She captioned her Instagram post, “Celebrating the launch of Small Matter Art Objects: Glassware 001, Saint Heron’s “A House is Not a Home” (2033) Installation connects the sentiment of black domesticity and intention of the collection’s design and process to Luther Vandross’s 1989 performance of “A House is Not a Home” live at Wembley Stadium in England. Inside a self-designed replica house structure, the installation conveys the radiance, intimacy and lyrical musings of Vandross’ unforgettable live rendition of Dionne Warwick‘s 1964 original, and is a performance art metaphor for the Small Matter Art Objects: Glassware 001 collection. The lyrics, “a chair is not a house, and a house is not a home” has introduced the subconsciousness of the home, occupying space, and household objects through the landscape of Black domesticity – and Saint Heron wishes to continue that sacredness through the encouragement of Black collections.”
“The Small Matter Glassware Collection reflects and crystalizes time through the material. It was important for our first Small Matter project to be an object designed with black thought and created by black hands. I am forever grateful to Jason McDonalds’s artistry and for Mark’s guidance on this journey. Over my transformation, creating stillness and materializing monumental parts of the process has been the most clear way of documenting where I am,” says Saint Heron founder and creative director Knowles.
Following the Small Matter Art Objects launch, Saint Heron will continue releasing decor products within the Small Matter Form Glass Collection, which offers the quality and design of art objects within community reach. This community-centric collection democratizes collecting and exhibiting art objects and elevated homewares and decor, paying homage to the shared and universal language of expression that transcends cultures and generations. Commissioning works from emerging artists, Saint Heron’s Small Matter encourages the artist to render the intimate processes of creating through the source of their disciplines.
Saint Heron’s Small Matter Glassware collections hope to foster connection and a deepened interest in the impactful contributions of Blackness to arts, decor, and architectural glassblowing.
“It was really fun working with Saint Heron to come up with this line. To work so closely with another inspired artist, to share passion towards a project, it was a special thing”, says Jason McDonald.
He continued, “One thing I love about it, it’s a moment frozen in time. It’s a snapshot that records exactly where you’re at on any given day. There’s no hiding in the glass, because it freezes whatever steps you took to get to the results. So I would say it’s a dance between me and the glass. I think it’s really inspiring to know that these are gonna go and live in people’s homes, that they’re going to become cherished objects that are used daily.”
Saint Heron’s limited-edition Small Matter Art Objects will be available starting June 20th, 2023, with the Small Matter Form Glass Collection to follow. The dual-line of glass objects will be available exclusively at saintheron.com.