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The Art of Living with Photographer, Felix Forest

Art of Living 2020

Felix Forest’s unique understanding and visual mastery of people and spaces speak of a talent that transcends technical ability and taps into a realm that captures the personality and narrative of his subjects, their interior choices, and how they interact within their environment. This inherent gift combined with his extensive travel experiences have allowed him to collaborate with the likes of Vogue Living, Belle Magazine, Vogue Australia and Architectural Digest to name a few.

As Felix puts it, photography is a profession that one can never truly master - a challenge he finds incredibly rewarding yet requires continuous retrospection and reflection. This is a sentiment that he shares deeply with King, who he has worked closely with for the past seven years - a relationship that has been forged through personal and professional experiences and has shaped their shared vision for the brand.

Here, Felix shares with us a window into the inner workings of his creative process, what inspires him and how his epicurean French roots resonates with the ‘art of living’ philosophy.

Art of Living 2020

The Jasper Bed in Whiteley Riverstone.

When did you know you wanted to become a photographer?

FF: I was studying business at UTS - by default and also because I had grown up thinking I would be a sportsman but after an injury that dream crumbled. I had chosen a sub-major in photography as I had always craved a creative output and photography seemed like a skill that you could always work on to improve. I guess because of my competitive nature I was interested in that challenge and a profession you could never truly master as well as the fact that it involved creativity as well as a technicality.

When do you feel most inspired?

FF: I feel inspired by people who bring challenging projects, whether creatively or technically. In saying this sometimes the most inspiring projects are simply documenting nature or someone else’s creation in the most emotionally connected way.

Art of Living 2020

Featured: Quay Dining Table in Carrara Marble; Quay Dining Chairs in NU-Touch Smoke; Neo Sofa in Club Sterling; Luna Chairs in Prestige Bay (leather exterior) and Ascot Natural (fabric interior).

Does nature play a role in inspiring you?

FF: As a photographer, nature always inspires you. Light is the master ruler of our profession whether we try to capture it in its finest hours, recreate it or create a scenario that wouldn’t exist in the natural world, we are always guided by the sun, in its orbit or trying to hide from it.

What does The Art of Living mean to you?

FF: It resonates with my epicurean French roots even though hard work often gets in the way of that ‘Art’. I think there’s a sense of mastering the most pleasant way to tackle what life throws at you whether it is good or bad, a positive approach to life generally speaking and never overlooking how simple details can transcend an experience.

Art of Living 2020

The King Cove collection in Malibu Eucalyptus.

Are there any links the King brand vision shares with your own personal style/perspective?

FF: What is beautiful about my relationship with King is that we can look at images we have created together 7 years ago and openly reflect on them, what worked and how we can improve them. Our affinities have grown concurrently, and we now share a vision for the future based on our lessons from the past, as well as half a generation of personal and professional experiences that have shaped our shared visual identity. In any industry it’s a truly special bond to share. If originally, we prioritised technical prowess and perfection, we have evolved to place more importance on the communication of a feeling, the crafting of a memory or an emotion through the Art of Living. It still requires technical expertise by way of design and manufacture of furniture or the composition of a photograph, but we don’t aim to showcase this primarily. A sofa that is part of a family’s history, the way the light hits the armrest on that blissful sunny winter day - these are feelings that live on in a deeper level with us rather than a curated moment. This is what we aim to capture.

Art of Living 2020

Featured: Bellaire Sofa in Whiteley Crystal; Latitude Plateau rug.