This is textile and tufting artist Jordan Dos Reis - in his element.
We created a custom piece with Jordan to celebrate our Paris opening. Taking us to his studio, he brings us into his creative process - one that’s mediative, full of artistic expression, open to surprise. It’s part technical, part go-with-the-flow.
You started with graffiti. What made you move into tufting?
I started graffiti when I was young. Later on, I moved into other interests, especially sneakers, and for a while I stepped away from creating. At some point, I felt like I wanted to come back to it, but in a different way. I started thinking about how I could bring together the graphic language of graffiti with something more tactile, like tapestry. That’s how tufting came into the picture. I liked the idea of creating pieces that could live on a wall, be framed, and become part of a wider visual world. It was something that had been developing in my head for years before I finally decided to start.
How do you feel when you’re in your studio creating?
The first thing I feel is freedom. When I’m creating, I’m transported by my thoughts. I completely lose myself in them. I think about good memories, difficult ones, different moments in my life.
The piece always reflects the state of mind I’m in when I create it. One piece will never feel exactly like the next because I’m not feeling exactly the same thing. For me, creating is therapeutic.
Tell us about the inspiration behind The Salad Project piece.
I tasted The GOAT, The Salad Project’s signature salad, and it was really that explosion of flavours that inspired me. There was so much happening in one bowl, and that became the starting point for the piece.
What inspires you in Paris right now?
The architecture, the history, but above all, the people. What inspires me most is the mix we live in, the encounters between different cultures, different people, different worlds. In Paris, you learn from someone every day. You also discover other people’s jobs, their ways of thinking, their experiences. Everything is connected. There’s a real energy here, an emulsion between the people and the city. Paris is a city that never stops, and I think it will always inspire me.
How do you know when you’re ready to try something new?
For me, renewal is essential. You have to keep trying new things and keep pushing yourself.
I actually force myself to renew what I do. Even this project was a form of renewal for me because I had carte blanche, so I wanted to find something new in myself and create something different. The idea is always to go further. Maybe today I’m good at what I do, but tomorrow I want to be better. I want to challenge myself and keep improving. I don’t limit my creativity. I get inspired by everything I see, everything I hear, everything I taste.
