Damasius will officially launch her Japanese collections business “LAPEL” at the October First Friday Art Walk. For her and for us it is especially meaningful to be featuring her as our gallery has been her training ground for what she had not expected or planned to do.  She took an early retirement from the tech world and began traveling to Japan on a regular basis. There in Osaka she discovered the marketplaces for antiques and crafts and now she has curated her own collections. 

Her focus is on pottery, unique textiles, wood carvings, ceramics, dishes and whimsical curiosities.  She is drawn to beauty with unexpected elements.  Her visits to regions known for specific pieces or types of materials used has educated her and enhanced the way she curates her collections. The philosophy that everything useful can be beautiful and everything beautiful can be useful resonates in each and every piece she brings into her inventory. 

A highlight in the collection is a textile called BORO.  Boro is a cloth that has been patched and repaired over the years as they wore out, often over generations. Created out of necessity they reflect a time when cloth was a luxury and valuable enough to be repaired and reused rather than discarded.  Each repair or patch added another layer and yet retained a visible history of the cloth. Each is one of a kind not afraid to show its age and now its historic value. 

Danielle found herself wanting to spend more and more time in Osaka and now has an apartment there where she currently splits her time between there and Mercer Island.  She is studying Japanese, exploring the markets and antique shops, getting to know the vendors, craftspeople, dealers and making friends.  She created her company name  “LAPEL” while riding her bicycle around the city….thinking it was a new idea but as it turns out she had been learning how to build it during her years as customer and friend of the Clarkes.  She says “Having LAPEL launch at Clarke & Clarke Art + Artifacts feels like coming home”.