Dispatches from Spain: Kike Keller

Contributor post by Serena Olivieri

Hi again from Madrid. This time, I wanted to show you an amazing showroom/gallery/bar I discovered a few weeks back - Kike Keller.

Kike Keller and Celia Montoya, are the designers (and builders) for this studio and art space. Keller worked as prop man in the movies industry where he learned how to create and build things, including while working for the famous Almodovar himself! Montoya was a flight attendant and met him several years ago while traveling around the world. Each time they traveled, they took something home to work on or be inspired by.

They started with a small showroom, primarily producing and selling candle sculptures. Over the years though, their space grew in both size, materials and pieces, and artistic content. First, they began by adding furniture to their collections. From there, they moved on to other materials and are now working with almost everything possible, including metal, glass and resin.

Upon entering their space, I was immediately amazed by the spectacular marriage of industrial design and vintage objects. Spread around the studio, you could easily find a metal table close to a wooden piece from an old carousel. Every object displayed has a story and was restored or maybe even transformed into something else. Some works are the result of collaborations; others were entirely created by them - and still others were put in a context that was completely different from the original pieces.

One part of the showroom houses a bar that is filled with their creations and findings. Here you can get familiar with the furniture, touch it, sit on it, or buy it while drinking red wine.

I was warmly received by Celia, half of the Kike Keller duo. She is an amazingly creative woman who doesn’t stop thinking, creating, producing and being surprised by her inspiration. Celia explained to me her love for the hard work, the “upcycling” and the careful selection of pieces.