Collaboration
Super Graphic: An Interview with Kapitza
The London-based studio Kapitza infuses a sense of joy and play into its geometrically forward and vividly hued designs.
A sense of generosity defines the work of Nicole and Petra Kapitza, sisters and founders of the London-based studio Kapitza. “Good design and art shouldn’t be a luxury—they should be part of everyday life for everyone,” Nicole says.
It’s a serious sentiment, but they express it playful terms: they enveloped a mundane pump station in Germany with a riotous collage of multi-colored stripes; installed playful, brightly hued geometric wayfinding sculptures into the hallways of the Royal London Hospital; and at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the duo developed a speculative public art campaign that consisted of kaleidoscopic shapes emblazoned on crosswalks, billboards, and the sides of buildings to help lift city spirits during a challenging time. “With every project, we think about how to create a strong sense of identity and belonging, and how to make people feel good,” Nicole adds.
The experiential qualities of design are more important to consider than ever as fields like neuroaesthetics recognize how what we see impacts our moods and as designers incorporate those findings into their work. And joy, an emotion that has long been neglected in design, is one that is receiving more attention. For the Kapitza sisters, joy and play are “absolutely central” to their practice. Recently, the pair collaborated with Designtex on a series of textiles that can help designers infuse more playfulness into interiors. “In a world that often feels heavy and fractured, we see art as a powerful counterbalance, a way to reintroduce playfulness, wonder, and fun into public life,” Petra says. “As artists, we have the rare privilege of shaping environments that can genuinely shift how people feel.”
Designtex spoke with the pair to learn more about their creative practice and how they design joy.
What is your hometown?
We grew up in a small village in southern Germany, but have lived in London for 30 years and it definitely feels like home.
How would you describe your creative practice?
We’d say our creative practice is a mix of play, curiosity, and a deep love for color and pattern. We’re always experimenting—whether it’s with geometry, movement, or how colors make you feel. For us, it’s about making art that brings joy, sparks energy, and brightens up the world around us.
What do you keep circling back to and exploring in your work?
We keep coming back to color, geometry, and movement—how they interact, shift moods, and transform spaces. We’re especially drawn to how art can uplift and spark joy. All our work is based on Mathematics and every artwork starts with a basic geometric shape: circle, square, triangle or line. These shapes are then put through a design process with parameters that we define.
What process, materials, techniques do you use to create your artwork?
We use the computer and custom software. For our organic artworks, and installation projects we experiment with paper, cardboard and wood. The Sparkle textile for example originated by scattering the circular paper pieces that are produced by a hole punch to create different compositions.
What studio item can you not live without?
It has to be our amazing Giclee printer which is the perfect tool to bring our colors and art from the computer into the real world.
What conversations are you having when making or showing your work? Who are you in conversation with?
Our conversations are with our clients and the question, how we can foster a sense of pride, belonging, and wellbeing in public buildings and shared spaces. How we design environments that feel welcoming and meaningful to the people who use them. We talk about how thoughtful art installations and vibrant color-based wayfinding enhances the user experience and encourages care and respect for the space.
What is your earliest memory of making something?
We used to draw a lot, when we got older we would be knitting jumpers, sewing trousers and painting pictures. We were very creative from a young age. As we grew up in a small village there wasn’t much else to do.
Who are your biggest influences?
It’s geometric artists such as Carmen Herrera, Bridget Riley, Victor Vasarely, Vera Molnár to name a few.
One artwork or song you cannot get out of your head?
One museum we cannot get out of our mind is the Fondation Vasarely in Aix-en-Provence where we would love to go back to.
What is your relationship to pattern?
We love geometric and abstract patterns, for us they are the translation of abstract art into an every day context (interiors, fashion, product design).
How do you imagine interior designers (of Corporate, Hospitality, Healthcare Education spaces) could use your designs? Do you think the designs will read differently on fabric and wallcovering?
We hope our textiles spark inspiration—becoming the foundation from which entire colour stories unfold. Each palette is crafted with intention, blending soft, muted tones with vibrant highlights to offer both harmony and contrast. Designed to be versatile, these colours invite designers to echo them across surfaces, creating spaces that feel cohesive, expressive, and full of character.
What kinds of projects are you currently working on?
Most of our projects are large scale art interventions for public buildings or installations for events. We work with our clients to create positive spaces that instil a sense of belonging and wellbeing, whilst guiding people through the spaces with intuitive color wayfinding. We just completed our largest project to date, a colourful art installation and way-finding system for a newly built Sports Centre in Germany.
How can our clients see and learn more about your work?
They can go to our website www.kapitza.com or follow us on Instagram @kapitza_studio
