Ivoys Art: Redefining Furniture as Fine Art

What if the pieces you live with are also the pieces that move you?

In this episode of Lattes & Art (presented by J-Squared Atelier), host James William Moore sits down with Ivelin Yosifov, aka Ivoys—the visionary behind Ivoys Art, where furniture becomes sculpture and the home becomes a gallery. Ivoys shares how he began building his practice from scratch in 2020, teaching himself as he went and trusting the visions in his head to become real-world objects.

We dive into his signature work “Superbia,” a futuristic walnut-built music installation with high-end sound, hidden compartments, and interchangeable design elements—crafted by hand tools, not big machines. Along the way, we talk about craft vs. art, embracing imperfections, mid-century modern influence, commissions (his “Make a Wish” approach), and his dream of future upcycled works sourced from around the world.

Ivoys Art Website: https://ivoysart.com/

Superbia: https://ivoysart.com/product-superbia/

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Transcript

00;00;08;08 - 00;00;39;27
James
Welcome to Lattes & Art, presented by J-Squared Atelier. I'm your host, James William Moore, and today we're stepping into the delicious overlap where design becomes sculpture and furniture becomes a story. You just drink up. My guest Ivelin Yosifov. The visionary behind Ivoys Art. Ivoys creates one of a kind furniture, artworks and home installations that just don't fit a space.

00;00;40;00 - 00;01;06;13
James
They transform it. Built with extraordinary craftsmanship and a fearless eye, his work challenges the idea that furniture is just functional and instead asks, what if? The pieces we live with are also the pieces that move us. Ivoys began building Ivoys Art from scratch in 2020 with a clear mission redefining furniture as fine art and spreading that vision around the world.

00;01;06;18 - 00;01;25;25
James
In this episode, we talk about how his ideas take shape, what it means to build functional art with intention, and why the home might be one of the most powerful galleries we've got. All right. Pour yourself a fresh latte and let's step into Ivoys’ world.

00;01;25;27 - 00;01;37;18
James
Ivoys, thank you for being with me today, I appreciate it. For those in our audience that aren't familiar with who you are, could you just do an introduction for me?

00;01;37;21 - 00;02;01;19
Ivoys
Yes. For sure. Thank you for having me. It's really an honor to be a part. I am a guy from, very small country, relatively small town. Sofia. It's located in Bulgaria. Or as I used to say to foreigners and other people from around the world. We are next to Greece.

00;02;01;21 - 00;02;03;19
Ivoys
But it was. Yeah, this year.

00;02;03;21 - 00;02;07;16
James
So tell us a little bit about the art that you make.

00;02;07;22 - 00;02;40;10
Ivoys
I'll try to keep it short. As much as, it feels difficult, but, basically my thing is to create something that it's. You haven't seen, something that just gives you the vibes of, maybe something out of this world. As I, have gotten many times before, when I show some of my creations to, different kind of people, most of the time, times, they say, man, this is out of this world.

00;02;40;13 - 00;03;00;28
Ivoys
And this gave me this, you know, this confirmation that, I'm on the, right path. So, yeah, I just, like to invent different, very cool stuff for your home. That's the main, main thing about, like to do in the future as well.

00;03;01;01 - 00;03;03;27
James
So now you work with wood, correct?

00;03;04;03 - 00;03;31;14
Ivoys
That's the main material I use. And when we talk wood, we are talking, high quality stuff. Most of the times I use walnut wood, which I really love. But, the Lord is not some kind of limitation for me. I would like to, in the future again, create something some very, very different.

00;03;31;16 - 00;03;39;16
Ivoys
Art pieces for for homes, which does not include wood but may include wolf as well.

00;03;39;17 - 00;03;56;27
James
I wanted to, you know, for the audience, obviously this is an audio recording today, and we're not seeing this piece that's behind you that will have a copy of it in the show notes. For those that want to check this out. But can you describe that piece so they know what they're looking at?

00;03;56;27 - 00;04;28;25
Ivoys
That piece behind me. It's called superbia. It is, musical art, installation art, decoration and, for, for your home. So it has a built in, audio system, which is, high quality, very nice sound. And you can, of course, control it from your phone, but that's not the main thing. The main thing is just to sit in your nice, cozy sofa.

00;04;28;26 - 00;04;58;21
Ivoys
Just look at, play some some of your favorite, artists. So that's the that's the main thing here. It is created from, basically walnuts and also, other, all the materials, you see, the speakers there is for speakers on the front. And there is also a very, very powerful, subwoofer behind it.

00;04;58;23 - 00;05;23;17
Ivoys
You don't see it? There is also a very cool, timeless, grounded styles that I have put on the site on, on those, left and right cubes. Which tubes? You can turn them, like when you push them, you, you sort of turn them around and you open, a space compartment where you can put something special.

00;05;23;18 - 00;05;38;18
Ivoys
That's, those are the main, things. It really, really looks amazing when you look at it in person. I hope the pictures just the files as much as they can. The the look.

00;05;38;21 - 00;06;11;03
James
Well, and it's interesting because, you know, I have a lot of time in Palm Springs, California, which is known for mid-century modern design and the sort of thing where your house and your furniture and everything kind of comes together and design. And I'm seeing what you're doing. Like when I was looking at this piece on your website and some of the other work you've done, it feels like you're doing that sort of idea where you've got into a new age being modern.

00;06;11;05 - 00;06;16;18
James
Yeah, you're you're building it for the home. So it's functional and it's art.

00;06;16;25 - 00;06;47;23
Ivoys
Yeah, exactly. That's, that's one of the main things I like to put some kind of usage, maybe not too big, because the main goal is just to look at it and love it, but also to have some, some small things that you can use, even though the middle part when you, with this, the exactly in the middle, it turns around, you can just see the, inside of, music.

00;06;47;26 - 00;07;20;07
Ivoys
The hardware of the music, which you can, yeah. So if you if you like, and also, I forgot to mention the grills, they are, metal grills, gold finish. But also, the thing is, they have, special steel covers. I believe there was over 15 models. So basically, what they do is they change a bit of the design of, of the suburbia.

00;07;20;11 - 00;07;23;08
Ivoys
So you can put the covers on the grills.

00;07;23;08 - 00;07;29;00
James
This piece really does look like it's from the future. Like it's a sci fi sort of.

00;07;29;02 - 00;07;29;29
Ivoys
Yeah.

00;07;30;02 - 00;07;36;24
James
Yeah. Object. Where do you get this sort of inspiration? That's so futuristic looking.

00;07;37;00 - 00;08;01;11
Ivoys
From from many things. From many, from different people, from different places. Just, you know, I, I start with a vision in my head. I'm not the guy that used a lot of paper work and, drawings and, computer theater. Software. I have most of the things, I do and I will do in the future.

00;08;01;11 - 00;08;27;05
Ivoys
I have them in my head. That's just, I find inspiration all over the world. And also, I would like to, like, give a message to other people as well. Even if you are from a really small place or a really small country, it doesn't mean that you can not do great things. Big things, you know? Don't get me wrong, I love America.

00;08;27;07 - 00;08;30;04
Ivoys
But it's,

00;08;30;07 - 00;08;54;16
James
Yeah, yeah, I love that, though, because the reality we as humans have creativity inside of us. And I think, no matter who we are, no matter where we're at, if we just give ourselves that chance and get all the other stuff out of our head that's distracting us, we can be creative. Like what? You. You've been. These ideas can come to us.

00;08;54;19 - 00;09;20;15
Ivoys
Exactly, exactly. That's the that's the thing. And the name Superbia is actually from, one composer from from us who had, one of his musicals was called Superbia. And I really loved, his story and the name of it. And I just, decided, well, it will be Superbia. I really love music. Music is my religion.

00;09;20;17 - 00;09;50;22
James
Well, and it's like art inspiring. More art. Right? This music and these ideas that come to you, that's amazing. I love that I wanted to ask about. I'm looking at this piece that's behind you. You've you've said that it's for the home. So it's got kind of a furniture design going to it. Yeah. Is your background in building furniture or is this something that you learned is a skill to be creative.

00;09;50;24 - 00;10;20;03
Ivoys
Is the second thing. I just, I just, I, I'm 100% honest. I just learn as I go. I believe I have really amazing talent, you know, just crafting, things. But also, the biggest things, the biggest thing for me is what I have in my head, you know, the, the creativity. That's that's the main thing. I'm not saying I'm the best craftsman, the best woodworker.

00;10;20;08 - 00;10;32;14
Ivoys
I don't, want to be that. I'm just one of the best guys to fix something amazing for homes. And I truly mean amazing for homes.

00;10;32;17 - 00;10;43;21
James
Well, and it's interesting too, because you're talking about you are self-trained effectively, like you have learned a skill. And art isn't about perfection, it's about beauty.

00;10;43;24 - 00;11;09;20
Ivoys
Exactly that. Those are my words. I'm not trying to get the piece to look, you know, machine looking, Finish it. It's not about that. You know, if you take a closer look at it, you can find some quirks and some bands, you know, that machines are not, doing it, you know, but that's not the that's not the thing here.

00;11;09;23 - 00;11;13;27
Ivoys
Art is something very different. That's my opinion.

00;11;13;27 - 00;11;37;09
James
Well, and I think it's not just your opinion because I'm in that mode and I believe the same thing. And I think a lot of people listening think that too. It's like, yeah, we don't have to be like I after many, many years, I went to college and I went to college to get an art degree, but I was an artist before that, and I was creative before that.

00;11;37;09 - 00;11;58;11
James
And I think sometimes people forget that, you know, that classically trained isn't always necessary. There are things like what you've proven. I have an idea. I have this creative idea in my head, and I want it to become a reality. And here it's it's it's a beautiful piece of reality.

00;11;58;16 - 00;12;14;29
Ivoys
Yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure. I believe and I think just as, you if you have it, you have it if you don't have it, but you really want to have it and you pursue something, you can you can do it. You know, well.

00;12;14;29 - 00;12;38;04
James
In finding inspiration and I think you have shown and what it is you're doing, we can find it like it's out there. Yours popped in your head and the next thing you know, you have this piece of furniture that is an installation work of art that no, not only can you enjoy it, but you can be surrounded by music from it, which, yeah, I'm all over that.

00;12;38;04 - 00;12;45;18
Ivoys
I yeah, it's amazing. And I promise you, I really love the sound. The sound is really, really nice.

00;12;45;24 - 00;12;58;09
James
You've mentioned that you're, you're not from the US. So who do you hope to have find your work like, how do you get this into someone's home?

00;12;58;15 - 00;13;12;08
Ivoys
Well, if I have to be honest, if I'm able to show my piece of, work to, let's say, my thing. So for people that really, really loved art, you.

00;13;12;08 - 00;13;34;19
James
Mentioned when you were introducing yourself that you're from the small little country and you kind of quietly mentioned Bulgaria, how much of you being from Bulgaria is coming through and what you're making? Is there a craft style of Bulgaria that you're using when you build something like this?

00;13;34;20 - 00;14;04;25
Ivoys
Yeah, it will definitely come in the future. In one of my future, creations. Not in those, that I have at the moment, but there is definitely a will to create something from from the Balkans, from from Bulgaria. But not only I would not like to, like, limit myself. Let's say I'm not from U.S, I have been there two years ago.

00;14;04;28 - 00;14;30;01
Ivoys
But I would also like to create something. There is. How do we put it now? Something that many, many people from America can relate. So I have, thought about it many times. And I will do definitely something that is from the U.S, from somebody that it's not from the U.S. I don't know if, it's understandable enough, but yeah.

00;14;30;03 - 00;15;01;21
James
You you say that about, you know, you want it to feel like it's from the U.S. I was born and raised in California. I feel like I have a California sensibility to things. Yeah, but I find that when my work goes somewhere else, it doesn't always get identified as U.S. But then I had I had an instructor one time, he was from Vietnam and he didn't get any of the references I was making.

00;15;01;25 - 00;15;24;00
James
I was making a lot of pop culture references and a piece of work I was building. And you, you called out, you know the Kardashians, right? That's kind of a huge pop culture icon, sort of. Yeah. Group. And if you're studying that sort of stuff, I can totally see you being inspired by that. And bringing in to what you're making.

00;15;24;03 - 00;15;41;23
James
Yeah, yeah. You don't have to be from there to appreciate it. Just like, you know, I'm not from Europe, but I can absolutely appreciate what I'm looking at, what you've built. I want to make a little bit of a shift in the conversation. You use the word craft?

00;15;41;26 - 00;15;42;12
Ivoys
Yeah.

00;15;42;15 - 00;15;47;19
James
How do you see that word and what it is that you're making?

00;15;47;21 - 00;16;13;08
Ivoys
One very important thing about it is, and thanks for mentioning that. I do not use big machines. All of the machines, I'm using our hand tools so I don't have, CNC machines and some other stuff like, you know, very, very big, woodworking machines and stuff like that. I would like to keep it in my hands.

00;16;13;12 - 00;16;18;16
Ivoys
That's part of part of my, art, as I would say.

00;16;18;18 - 00;16;46;14
James
Well, and I'm glad that you said that about your hands, because, you know, when you and I were getting introduced, you talked a little bit about that, and I was impressed, because many times in the art world, there's this idea that when something is craft, it's not art. But I'm looking at your hand made piece that you've used hand tools to build, and it's a work of art.

00;16;46;16 - 00;16;47;08
Ivoys
It's a.

00;16;47;10 - 00;16;53;21
James
Craft, but it's not, you know, let's put quotes around it. Crafty.

00;16;53;24 - 00;16;56;14
Ivoys
Yeah. Yeah. Exactly, exactly.

00;16;56;16 - 00;17;20;15
James
And I wanted to bring that up because there's a lot, especially in our audience here in the States that they hear arts and crafts and they immediately go to this sort of homey crafty where we're making something with yarn that isn't the case with you. You're definitely using your hand to create the.

00;17;20;15 - 00;18;01;24
Ivoys
Definitely. And one crazy idea that I have in the future. I'm not the guy who usually share my ideas, but this video's right. To do it now is to gather from different kind of, from different countries, from different regions, to gather one of the most, let's say disposables. Gorgeous that they throw in the bins or just throw it somewhere to collect one of the most out to say, rust things from different parts of the world and create something with those parts and things.

00;18;01;26 - 00;18;22;01
James
We have a term here that's gotten very big, that's called upcycling, and you would be a huge hit working in that realm. It looks from what I see, you haven't been doing this for a very long time. And when I say that like, this hasn't been your life's journey, has it?

00;18;22;05 - 00;18;23;04
Ivoys
You know. Yeah.

00;18;23;09 - 00;18;29;25
James
Can you talk a little bit about that? How did you suddenly find inspiration to become this artist?

00;18;29;28 - 00;19;06;22
Ivoys
I remember the first thoughts that came through my mind. It was maybe six, six, seven years ago. It just started coming. The thought of me, creating something just started to come and come frequently. And maybe it lasted for two months. This thought about me creating something with my hands and my vision and my, creativity. And that that was the moment, when I say to myself, well, you have to do it.

00;19;06;25 - 00;19;17;27
Ivoys
It's something that you really feel that you like to, to create, to, to, to make something different. And I believe I did an amazing job.

00;19;17;27 - 00;19;46;26
James
Well, and I like being able to see your work. When you and I first talked and you were sharing this piece, and then I went and looked at your website and some of the other things you're creating. And it's just interesting to me that, again, you're not 20 years in this year, 5 or 6 years in this. And again, I think it gets back to you allowed the creativity to kind of drive you to this point.

00;19;46;28 - 00;19;47;19
Ivoys
Exactly.

00;19;47;19 - 00;20;08;13
James
Yeah. I need to go back again to this idea of mid-century modern. And all of the designers and artisans from that period. I really feel the your create. You have continued that idea that furniture in a home can be a work of art.

00;20;08;16 - 00;20;09;05
Ivoys
Yes.

00;20;09;07 - 00;20;21;13
James
And are you going to continue in that? Like will you create other pieces? Do you do commissions for individuals that come to you? Where do you see yourself going?

00;20;21;13 - 00;20;53;26
Ivoys
So I'll definitely, continue creating things like that. As I mentioned, they may not include a lot of walks. There is also, a page on my, website where you can feel a lot of information like, what shapes do you like? What materials do you like? Different kind of information. That is very valuable for me to understand what I can create for you.

00;20;53;29 - 00;21;28;18
Ivoys
So that's the thing that I created, on the website. Definitely not the guy, which you can just go to and, order some, table six by six, stuff like that. I'm not that guy. If you want, if you want a great art, a great piece of, let's say, art, furniture or not even furniture, if you want just something fancy, something that everybody who walks into the, your door, they will notice it or right away on the instance that I can guarantee you every time.

00;21;28;21 - 00;21;30;26
Ivoys
Then I am that guy as well.

00;21;30;26 - 00;21;46;14
James
And I love on your website, it's called make a Wish. Right? The art patron are able to come to someone like you and talk and have a conversation and commission your dream piece. I love that.

00;21;46;16 - 00;21;47;07
Ivoys
Exactly.

00;21;47;09 - 00;21;48;17
James
That is so cool.

00;21;48;20 - 00;21;49;06
Ivoys
Yeah.

00;21;49;09 - 00;22;04;05
James
I've always thank you. I enjoyed getting to know your work. I've enjoyed this time today that we've been able to talk more in-depth about your work. Is there anything else that you want to leave us with as we kind of wrap up this recording?

00;22;04;06 - 00;22;21;09
Ivoys
Well, there is great things coming in the future, but, I really also like to thank you, James, for, taking the time, you know, and just talk about it with me. It's really great for me.

00;22;21;11 - 00;22;43;06
James
Well, I'm so glad we got connected, because I'm definitely going to be following you. And for those of you in the audience, there's going to be links, to Ivoys Art in the show notes so that you can actually see Superbia and all of the other stuff that he has coming. Don't miss out on this. Ivoys, thank you so much for your time today.

00;22;43;06 - 00;22;46;15
James
I appreciate it, and I look forward to see what you do in the future.

00;22;46;21 - 00;22;52;28
Ivoys
Thank you again, James. Thank you so much.

00;22;53;00 - 00;23;19;19
James
Huge thanks to Ivoys for coming on Lattes & Art and reminding us that art doesn't have to be distant. It can be useful, intimate, and part of daily life without losing any of its power. Be sure to check out our show notes. You'll find links to see Superbia and other works Ivoys has been working on. If you like this episode, please subscribe so you'll never miss what's next.

00;23;19;19 - 00;23;41;10
James
And if you can drop a rating or review, it makes a big difference. So you think. And if you're looking for an art history class that isn't like your grandmother's, go check out our newest podcast, Art Happens The Divine Mass of Art history, available at all the usual places you get your podcasts, with video podcast versions available on YouTube.

00;23;41;15 - 00;23;45;19
James
Thank you for joining me. I'm James William Moore and we'll see you soon.