It is the color that sustains us. The color of that which gives us life. Blue is the sky and the air we breathe. It is the color of water from the lakes and rivers we drink. Blue is the color of Christopher Wrobleski's world.
Growing up in West Virginia, Wrobleski's earliest memories revolve around a lush terrain of forest and creeks. A natural-born creative and adventurer, his childhood was spent hunting and gathering plants and specimens that piqued his curiosity. He drew in the wonder of nature and in the comfort of being in the water and under an open sky.
Enchantment of the supernatural qualities of nature and the magic of the canvas led to Wrobleski’s discovery of the pigment Indigo and its time-honored arts practice. It enabled the young artist to infuse his work with a sense of peace and playfulness lingering under the surface.
Wrobleski followed his passions to the edge of the Pacific Ocean: Los Angeles. Here he first brought his blue lens to Hollywood storytelling, earning a name in production design for film and television. Production design gave way to art direction, which launched him as an independent artist known for his ability to create monumental indigo-based projects.
From his studio, Wrobleski could now dye the world blue—canvases, curtains, and custom upholstery. He let the spiritual properties of indigo bathe him and his art. Indigo the purifier. Indigo the healer. Indigo as devotion. With his hands, Wrobleski meditated on his beloved color. Dipping materials again and again, always searching for a richer, deeper blue. This is the process of dying: time, repetition, patience, attention to detail.
Wrobleski's experimental nature pushed him to study the ancient craft of indigo and create his own unique approach to the traditional practice. He dyes leathers and woods, and other unconventional materials with indigo. He builds experiential installations and wall coverings, projects of scale inspired by his time on sets.
Wrobleski's work with indigo and canvas drew the attention of the iconic Levi's brand, who continues to commission the artist to make installations at their flagship stores around the globe, including New York, Tokyo, and Madrid.
Today in his indigo studio in Los Angeles, Wrobleski keeps a greenhouse near his work—nature never far from his art. His green thumb washed in blue. His studio continues to be a refuge for those devoted to natural materials, age-old artisan craft, the precise imperfection of hand, and the art of slow design. Each new indigo piece is an exploration diving deeper into the blue.