When he was growing up in Jamaica, Matthew Harris can recall his excitement at visiting New York City on a trip. Passing through John F. Kennedy International Airport, he was dazzled by an artwork hanging overhead: Alexander Calder's mobile sculpture Flight, with its 45-foot span. He remembers being fascinated by the work, which looked to him like a giant earring.
Years later, Harris moved to New York and became a jewelry designer. Soon after he founded his brand, Mateo, in 2009, Rihanna was spotted wearing one of his silver zipper necklaces. A line of chandelier earrings inspired by Calder followed, and Mateo quickly gained a cult following with clients including Zendaya and Oprah.
Given his longtime fascination with Calder, it makes sense that when Harris was designing his new pied-à-terre in Lisbon, he was determined to include a piece by the artist. "It was always a dream to own a Calder, but most of the prices are in the stratosphere," he says. With the help of art adviser Christopher Wolf, he set his sights on a more attainable purchase: a 1975 jute tapestry made by Guatemalan artisans from a design Calder donated to raise money for earthquake victims. Now its organic red and blue pattern hangs over the dining area in his Lisbon apartment.
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