By James Randall Chumbley
Palm Springs, CA (The Hollywood Times) 10/21/21 – Timothy Tew, founder and owner of Atlanta’s renowned contemporary Tew Galleries and Italian interior designer Adriano Balestra, owner of wabi-sabi influenced Studio Balestra in Los Angles, are in several ways of the same mind when it comes to merging beauty, simplicity, and authenticity in interior living spaces. Together they are creating interiors that are breathing artworks within themselves.
Somewhat serendipitously, they have embarked on a journey of unification, fashioning a fusion of two worlds: Balestra’s interiors and Tew’s artists. Two generations of men whose experiences and worlds paradoxically meld into an idiosyncratic and well-thought-out placement of Balestra’s curated antiques of Japanese origin, furniture, objects — along with Tew’s expansive knowledge of a broad scope of art, including his eye for that of abiding contemporary and minimalist works.
Timothy and Adriano share many loves. As a young man, Timothy Tew, with a degree in interior design, was aesthetically drawn to Paris for a year to study not only in the art of the collection of complementing elements for interior living environments, but to immerse himself in the Parisian lifestyle within its abutting beauty and to learn the language. “I suppose the biggest impact of living in Paris was the bond I developed with its culture and beauty, inspiring me to bring it back with me to the United States,” Tew shared. As with Balestra, he has a great affinity for antiques, and early on considered opening a store of its finest. As a result of the City of Lights’ life-changing impact on Tew, the seeds were planted for his first gallery. “It was a way to stay connected with Paris, its museums, the artists and people I met,” Timothy elaborated.
As a teenager in Rome, Balestra became keenly aware of interiors. “All I cared about was creating beautiful homes and interiors,” the designer reminisced. Adriano shared that his awareness grew exponentially once he realized that interior design was a real job. “At that discovery, I became extremely excited and since then, I have been driven to this career.” With the help of his family, Balestra moved to the United States to study at UCLA. “Probably the best thing I have done so far,” he stated.
Once established in Los Angeles after college, with five years of intense execution of an innate calling, Balestra has focused on high-end residential projects that are more labors of love — much the same for Timothy Tew concerning art and the key role it plays in interior design. The interiors Adriano fastidiously interweaves are stunning, assembled with regarded elements: natural textures, patina from aging, and antiquities from Japan. All iconic of the culture and its allegiance to the aesthetics of wabi-sabi that he admires — together they evoke “an atmosphere of unobtrusive beauty,” defines the designer.
Balestra attends to details, planning, and creating interiors as a perfectionist. Yet he loves the imperfections of antiques that reflect the wabi-sabi culture — the calmness, comfort, and tranquility of stillness offered. “There is beauty in those imperfections,” Adriano expressed. He also expounds, “adding classic furniture designs such as Le Corbusier, Prouvé, and Jeanneret are important in the creation of a sophisticated and harmonious space.”
Timothy Tew agrees with Adriano concerning patina and imperfection in reference to design, “It represents the energy of all people who have lived with and look at the items the interior designer selects.” Concerning art, Tew stated, “Though I represent contemporary artists, the ones I choose don’t deny the influence of the past and their desire to use it for discovery in their work.”
When asked what brought Adriano and him together, Tew responded, “Balestra is a young man who is in the beginning stages of a brilliant career. I’ve been a gallery owner for thirty-four years with national recognition — American and European artists — but I’m just beginning my career in Los Angeles. Together, we need to connect with people and let them know what we are doing. We both are passionate about what we do individually and that which we can do jointly concerning the aesthetics of art and design — old and new. While Adriano’s focus is on design and mine on art, the two undeniably intersect because artwork is enhanced by its surroundings and those surroundings are enhanced by artwork.”
Both Adriano and Timothy believe they can unite their two generations by what they can learn from the other concerning new ideas and those that have passed the test of time concerning design and art. Adriano explains that art is new for him. He believes this venture with Timothy will give his existing and new clients an appreciation of the balance between his interiors showcasing antiques and Timothy’s incorporation of contemporary and minimal art.
Timothy Tew is hopeful that people will see how important it is to have art in a well-designed room — as he earlier expressed, to see how the design of a room supports the art and vice versa. Timothy also believes that the atmosphere Adriano creates in his interiors will draw people toward desiring a more personal, individual, and emotional way of living.
To learn more about the collaboration of curated antiques and objects by Adriano Balestra’s Studio Balestra and contemporary art from Timothy Tew’s TEW Galleries, email for information at: [email protected].