Robert Malmberg Debuts New Collection at NoMo SoHo Hotel

The Sum of Our Parts

By Jordan Staggs | Photography by Robert Malmberg

Ask any artist about the trials and tribulations of taking a creative form they love and turning it into an entrepreneurial endeavor. Chances are, they will tell you it’s one of the hardest things they have ever done. Making your passion a full-time job and forging your path can mean sacrifice, struggle, and continual evolution. Robert Malmberg, a visual artist based in New York, has experienced multiple seasons of his life and work, from working in nature and landscape photography to designing unique wallpaper and textiles or works on canvas. His latest collection, Sum of Our Parts, is another new step in his career, currently featured in a solo exhibition on display at the NoMo SoHo hotel on Crosby Street in New York.

“Creativity has always felt like a necessity for me,” Malmberg says, expressing a well-known need among passionate artists. “When I don’t make time for it, I can feel a bit lost or even irritable. It is an extension of myself and my thoughts and helps keep me grounded.”

Still, there is a big difference between an artist who creates for creation’s sake and one who decides to make it their full-time career. Malmberg has experienced the challenge of balance that most entrepreneurs, especially in creative fields, would agree is one of the most difficult parts of their journey. “Like other entrepreneurs and self-starters, I am forced to wear many hats to keep everything moving and growing in the right direction,” he says. “It can be tricky to navigate all the necessary administrative, production, and marketing efforts while freeing up blocks of time for unhindered creative sessions in the studio.”

However, when people love what you create, it can make all the challenging times worth it. Malmberg says, “There are countless rewards—top of mind being the ability to share my vision with the world and connect with people in person. It is the highest compliment to receive a new art commission, wallpaper order, or request to collaborate on a design project with someone who loves my work! It stokes my fire and gives me a feeling of genuine purpose in my daily life.”

East Village collage

Even though they love creating art, professional artists are like any other working person; they need inspiration and new experiences to keep things fresh and avoid burnout. “My processes are always changing, and I celebrate both the challenges and freedom that arise from experimentation,” Malmberg shares. The effort shows in his body of work, which spans several mediums. But whether he’s working on paper or canvas, digitally or through textiles, there is often a visual continuity of sorts: “I’ve always used many layers in my artwork, which enables me to arrange numerous visuals, angles, and ideas into one piece. Whether I’m behind the camera or standing in front of an easel, the common thread is that I strive to express and discover something new through the medium or mediums at hand. I consider myself a mixed-media artist and find it deeply satisfying to combine multiple techniques (like mixing photographs with paintings) to harness new outcomes. I usually start each piece with some loose concept or sketches, only to arrive at something completely unexpected.”

In his collages, such as those featured in his latest collection, he says, “My eye is drawn to the unusual scenes and gritty details we encounter in our day-to-day lives: an ornate flower arrangement, a shoddy paint job, subway mishaps, decorative tchotchkes, discarded technology, dilapidated billboards, and bizarre culinary treats. I like to think of the culmination of these fleeting images within my collages as our ‘collective patina’ as humans—a mashup of subject matter that suggests a deeper understanding of our passage through time and space and an ongoing discovery of our evolving cultural narratives. The works reflect my curiosity about the human mind and its ability to tap into an endless well of subconscious symbols, ideas, and stories.”

The gorgeous, expansive lobby at NoMo SoHo is very complementary to this body of work

Malmberg has also created photographic patterns that he transformed into a unique collection of wallpaper and textiles (see more in the article “Hitting the Wall” at VIEmagzine.com). Making these products calls for a different mindset, he says. “While my approach to wallpaper and textile design is still very creative, it requires me to think more analytically about how interior designers and clients will ultimately use the patterns in their special projects. The design process for me reaches a point where it has to be exacting and technically perfect for the purposes of installation and functionality for the end user.”

A new painting from Malmberg’s studio

On the other hand, his studio art is “a place where all rules can (and do) go out the window,” he says. “I can bask in the imperfections and express things that are more raw, abstract, and personal to my uninterrupted vision and thought process. I hope my current exhibit resonates as playful, imaginative, and even bizarre for the viewer. I love showing these works to people who see things in them that I’ve never noticed myself.”

Malmberg calls Sum of Our Parts—a collection of large-scale mixed-media art that includes collages and works on paper—a “nonlinear approach to street photography that features an urban contemporary backdrop and layers of original photographs utilized in unconventional ways.” His goal to create evocative forms and newly discovered archetypes is achieved through blending fine photography, pop art, and surrealism in “an exploration of the mystery and playfulness of our human subliminal experience.”

I usually start each piece with some loose concept or sketches, only to arrive at something completely unexpected.

The collection is displayed prominently throughout the lobby and reception areas of NoMo SoHo, resulting from a serendipitous collaboration with the hotel’s team. “The gorgeous, expansive lobby at NoMo SoHo is very complementary to this body of work,” Malmberg shares. “High ceilings, clean blank walls, and contemporary furnishings made the installation and curation process relatively easy. I did some digital mockups and measurements in advance to help visualize the layout and remove some guesswork. The works arrived on time, professionally framed, and ready for installation. Smooth sailing.”

“My Inkblot Studies series is a grid of nine prints inspired by Hermann Rorschach’s famous inkblot tests,” says Robert Malmberg. “These were handmade in the studio using acrylic on textured watercolor paper, then photographed and recombined to create abstract and symmetrical shapes that engage viewers differently. In this space, we are all connected, we are all invited, and we can all be right.”

Post-exhibit, Malmberg has much in store for 2024 and beyond—namely, spending a lot of time in his art and design studio in Long Island City, just across the East River from his Upper East Side residence. “I’m very pleased to announce that I’m making more time to paint!” he shares. “I’m working on some new large canvases using acrylic and oil paints. The series has undertones of abstract expressionism and synthetic cubism, two painting styles I’ve been drawn to for many years. I’m enjoying the results so far, playing with interesting colors and contrasting ideas. More than anything, I love how painting enables me to access an analog experience and work continuously for hours on end without distraction. I listen to a lot of classical music while working on large compositions. The therapeutic value is extremely high!”

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Connect with Robert Malmberg at MalmbergStudio.com and on Instagram @malmberg. For commission inquiries, contact him at (917) 202-0599. Malmberg also offers a trade program for interior designers and art buyers to receive friendly discounts.