HYPEBEAST x Sant Ambroeus x Josanna Torrocha (2019)
New York City’s Sant Ambroeus restaurants are regularly visited by tourists, locals, and celebrities for its rustic Italian dishes. What separates the SoHo outpost from the Milanese chain’s West Village and Upper East Side locations is its wall of art plates curated by Alireza Niroomand. The sprawling presentation is filled with over 200 plates designed by multifaceted artists and brands spanning Andre Saraiva, FAUST, NIGO, Sarah Andelman, Maison Kitsune, Stone Island, among others.
In 2019, I commissioned multifaceted NYC artist, Josanna Torrocha, to create a ceramic plate with artwork that paid homage to HYPEBEAST for Sant Ambroeus’ famed wall. “Since HYPEBEAST originated in China, I wanted to bring in traditional Chinese pottery designs to this plate,” said Torrocha. “In my research, I was inspired by Chinese mythology. Dragons were believed to create clouds from their breath which have been associated with rain thus symbolizing growth and prosperity. Decorated around the rim of the plate are lotus flowers symbolizing life and honor.”
