What’s Happening: In a new documentary produced by WePresent, the actor and art enthusiast delves into the legacy of the late British artist David Robilliard, whose witty paintings and poignant poems continue to resonate.

The Download: Russell Tovey never met David Robilliard, but he has spent the past two years making sure the world knows his name. The queer British poet and artist left an indelible impact on East London’s thriving creative scene with his heartfelt canvases that mix hand-drawn sketches with poetic snippets about sex, loss, and human connection, but has remained shrouded in obscurity. “I remember being really taken aback by how openly queer [his work] was,” says Tovey, an actor, art enthusiast, and co-host of the Talk Art podcast. “I was like, I can’t believe this exists, this is out there.” Tovey’s favorite? The Yes No Quality of Dreams, a painting completed the year Robilliard died, of AIDS in 1988 at the age of 36, that pictures a linear drawing of a man’s face in profile, chin resting on his fist, the titular words joyfully spelled below.

Tovey’s quest to deepen his—and our—understanding of Robilliard’s life, work, and legacy is the subject of Life Is Excellent, a documentary produced by WePresent. Named after one of the late artist’s jubilant paintings, the 49-minute film sees Tovey travel to Robilliard’s birthplace of Guernsey, Channel Islands, to delve deeper into his upbringing and retrace his steps before relocating to East London. There, Tovey connects with Robilliard’s friends, colleagues, and collaborators—many of whom have never spoken about him publicly—as he explores the haunts where Robilliard lived, created, danced, loved, and flourished as an artist. Interspersed throughout are readings of Robilliard’s poems by the likes of Susan Wokoma and Bimini Bon Boulash, bringing the artist’s charming and witty aphorisms to life.

As Tovey learns more about Robilliard, the totemic impact of his creative hero becomes palpable. He frequently carries a rare copy of Inevitable, a 1984 collection of Robilliard’s poems, and gets visibly emotional upon visiting Four Garden Lane, the location of Robilliard’s studio. His research also sparks personal revelations that highlight Tovey’s broader mission to raise awareness about the impact of the AIDS crisis—and all the queer artists, like Derek Jarman, whose lives were tragically cut short by the illness. “There are artists that come along and feel like their hands reached out and take ours,” Tovey says. “You miss these people. That’s the mark of a genius. They have the ability to connect to someone who they’ve never met, who they’d never even imagined they would ever know.”

In Their Own Words: “It could’ve been me if I’d been born ten years earlier,” Tovey says in the film. “I feel like I’m part of a lucky generation. I feel a responsibility to make sure people know who David Robilliard is because we should put people back into history that disappeared.”

Surface Says: If you’re in New York, be sure to catch the screening of Life Is Excellent at SVA on Wednesday.

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Those well-versed in the art and design worlds know it’s not December without a quick trip to the MIA to see our industry turn out in full force for Art Basel Miami Beach, Design Miami/, and the accompanying festivities that take over the city all week long.

Naturally, Surface readers are invited to the cocktail party we’re co-hosting with Lasvit and the Luminaire Lab in the Design District. We’ve also rounded up a spate of editor-approved happenings, including Cartier’s “Time Unlimited” exhibition, an AI-powered maze by Sebastian ErraZuriz, and a sweeping career survey of Gary Simmons’s hip-hop, horror, and science fiction-inflected practice over at the Pérez Art Museum.

Never content on staying in his comfort zone, Ben Gorham has pushed Byredo squarely into the realm of a “lifestyle brand” with every new launch, whether mounting a memory-evoking Milan Design Week installation with Dozie Kanu or designing a speaker-shaped fragrance bottle with auditory maestro Devon Turnbull. Now the cult fragrance brand has ventured into fine jewelry with a debut collection hearkening back to the principles of piercing and adorning.

Named Virasaat after the Hindi word for “inheritance,” the collection of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings employs rounded pearl shapes interlocking with graphic bars to form a fluid, wave-like pattern that can be repeated and extended ad infinitum. Each piece was made in Italy using precious metals such as silver and gold, ensuring the totemic objects can be passed down from older generations to the next like a birthright. The collection enjoyed a pre-launch in Paris yesterday with the global launch in Byredo’s flagship boutiques starting on January 25.

Whether envisioning serene Parisian pieds-à-terre, countryside homes in Champagne, or the sumptuous furniture inside, Corpus Studio founders Konrad Steffensen and Ronan Le Grand compose poetic interiors driven by authenticity and conviction. The Paris-based practice plays with volume, light, materiality, scale, color, and sequence to heighten how we experience our surroundings, wielding their dextrous hand to see how space can evoke those feelings one can’t quite put into words.

One of the pandemic’s effects has been a lingering disruption of the art world—galleries, artists, and even the industry’s flagship fairs have grappled with the challenges posed by the black swan event of the century. But slowly, the industry is righting itself, and for some, the quest is no longer just to make it through another year—or day—but to recommit to serving artists and collectors in impactful, future-facing ways. The Association for International Photography and Art Dealers’ (AIPAD) Photography Show is one such organization, led by executive director Lydia Melamed Johnson, that cautiously emerged from the pandemic years with its 2022 edition.

Before returning to the ornate, Gothic Revival halls of its previous home at the Park Avenue Armory, the fair staged more intimate editions at Midtown’s Center 415. “We ensured the demand and supply was still present,” she told Surface of the decision to let the fair find its footing before returning uptown. “Following a fantastic edition in 2023, we knew the organization was ready to once again grow and inhabit such a distinct space.” From April 25–28, the fair will stage its first edition back at the Armory.

Our weekly roundup of the internet’s most preposterous headlines, from the outrageous to the outright bizarre.

Does Vanilla Flavoring Actually Come From Beaver Butts? [Smithsonian]

Raunchy, Alcohol-Fueled Taco Bell Party Included Open Sex, Lawsuit Claims [KTLA]

An Anthropologist Spotted a Real Human Skull on Display in the Halloween Section of a Florida Thrift Store [Insider]

Google Maps Error Leads Unsuspecting Travelers Into the Middle of the Mojave Desert [TechSpot]

Huge Squealing AR Pig Appears on Top of UK Tescos and Barclays [It’s Nice That]

41 Rescued Workers Emerge Dazed and Smiling After 17 Days Trapped in Collapsed Road Tunnel in India [AP]

As an adult, getting into art—not as a patron or museumgoer, but actually being creative and making art—can be challenging. Art supply stores, for one, are laid out for those who already know how soft they need their pencils, the weight of their sketching paper, and whether their pastels need to be water-soluble. Figure that out, and there’s still the complexity of finding a class with a workable schedule, often during the after-work or weekend hours when gallery-hopping to look at masterpieces seems like a more appealing prospect.

Navigate that quandary and you still take a gamble on hitting it off with your instructor or wondering if your peers’ biting feedback during group crits is bordering on personal. For those who prefer to relax and unwind for class, and not brace themselves for it, Caran D’Ache’s new Creative Class equips those of all skill levels to explore their creativity in the comfort of their home. The Creative Box offers a considered edit of Caran D’Ache art materials and access to three instructor-led classes on the Creative Class platform.

Earlier this past week, the New York-based artist residency Silver Art Projects hosted its inaugural gala. The evening honored Art For Justice founder Agnes Gund and artist Hank Willis Thomas, two dedicated supporters of Silver Art. Guests mingled over cocktails and panoramic views from the 40th floor of 7 World Trade Center. DJ Stretch Armstrong provided tunes and ambiance for the evening, the proceeds of which benefitted Silver Art’s mission to support artists’ growth and impact.

When was it? Nov. 28

Where was it? 7 World Trade Center, New York

Who was there? Jared Owens, Lee Quinones, Fab 5 Freddy, Cory Silverstein, Larry Silverstein, Catherine Gund, Futura 2000, and more.

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Carl Hansen & Søn believes that iconic design is a combination of simplicity, aesthetics, and functionality brought to life through skillful work with the highest-quality materials. For more than 100 years, the Danish brand has specialized in providing outstanding furniture craftsmanship that brings visionary design concepts to life.

Surface Says: A master of timeless design, Carl Hansen & Søn always knows how to balance homeyness and modernity.

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