Creative design studio Studio Bust fashions bespoke Bust of Venus-like sculptures, finding a way to celebrate the ever-changing female form across milestone moments, whether pregnancy, postpartum, or a birthday.
Founder Mads Montagu-Andrews – a former pastry chef at Skye Gyngell’s Spring restaurant – uses golden-age casting techniques to modernise antiquated busts and androcentric, social views all at once.
We speak to Mads about the process behind making a bespoke bust, why we should celebrate the female body, and how visiting new places is a treasure trove-like creative source of inspiration.
How did you get into art and the creative industry?
Iʼve been going to art galleries since I was a child and at home always have some sort of creative project on the go. I started my career in finance, and very quickly realised it did not bring me joy, so after retraining at Ballymaloe Cookery School I went on to work as a Pastry Chef at Spring restaurant, which I absolutely loved. I had my first two children quite close together, which coincided with renovating two homes back to back (my husband was a fine furniture maker and had the reno bug). During nap times, we were either retiling bathrooms and making curtains, or I was embroidering cushions which I sold via Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
How was your brand, Studio Bust, created?
When I was pregnant with my first daughter, I sat for a drawing. When pregnant with my second child, I wanted to capture my changing form but in a different medium. Inspired by my mother-in-lawʼs beautiful sculpture collection, I was drawn to bronze, but knew we didnʼt have the space for a life-size cast in our London flat, or the budget to sit with a traditional sculptor. Thus after much research, Studio Bust was born – combining the best of modern technology with age old casting techniques to create bespoke sculptures, scaled to a size that suits our clientʼs homes.
View this post on Instagram
Can you tell us a little bit more about the creative process of making a Bust?
Each Bust starts with a 3D scan, taken during an appointment hosted by a female member of our team. We host regular appointments in London, New York, Los Angeles and Paris, and then travel to meet demand, which has seen us host pop ups in Edinburgh, Belgium and Toronto, to name a few. During our appointments, clients have a chance to see our finishes in person; there are quite a few options to choose from – bespoke colours, materials, sizes and plinths. We know how nice it is to see and feel things in the flesh and have the option to choose something that feels authentically ‘themʼ.
View this post on Instagram
Clients are then 3D scanned in a private room, with each scan only taking 20 seconds. They are able to try a number of poses and review the digital render on screen to make sure they’re happy with the pose that we put into production. After the appointment, the digital files are edited by me. The 3D scan captures the body as a whole, so part of my ‘makerʼs markʼ as the artist and founder is ensuring things like where we cut the arms is consistent with our aesthetic. Given the personal nature of our work, itʼs really important to me that as much of the process is done in house – we 3D print from our Hampshire studio and have an incredible team of women who hand sand and finish each Bust. Our Legacy Busts are cast in bronze at a foundry next to our studio, and then finished and packaged in house.
View this post on Instagram
What about the female body captured you?
I grew up in the 90s, when women’s bodies were the subject of such intense scrutiny, and have hugely admired the work of my peers in recent years to dismantle this. It therefore felt hugely important that Studio Bust be so much more than a pregnancy offering, we are passionate about celebrating the unique beauty of each of our clients and aim to leave them feeling empowered, with a work of art they can display with pride.
What is your design philosophy for your home?
You can never have enough storage!
How would you describe your personal aesthetic?
Iʼm constantly battling between keeping things elevated and playful, and our home and my style reflects a combination of both.
View this post on Instagram
Some of your favourite projects and memories from your work to date?
I recently created a Bronze Sculpture with my nine-year-old niece and it was so special to go through the entire process with her. After her 3D Scan, she saw it being 3D printed and then came to visit me in the studio to choose a bespoke patination of her Bust. Iʼve since 3D scanned two of my daughters (aged four and five) and it sounds silly, but it totally took me by surprise at how emotional they made me feel; theirs are currently being cast and they are eagerly awaiting their chance to watch the patination process, which I’m so proud to see through their eyes.
View this post on Instagram
What is your biggest design inspiration?
I think a change in perspective is the ultimate way to re-energise and re-inspire, and find that exploring somewhere new (whether thatʼs going down the road to a local exhibition or visiting a new city) can provide inspiration when itʼs needed most.
How does travelling influence your designs and tastes?
I think travelling is one of the richest sources of inspiration. It could be anything from the architecture, the people or the food that catches my eye. However I hate feeling like a tourist (despite obviously being one) and always spend time before a trip hunting down local favourites, via friends, interviews, or Instagram accounts like Step your World and AmiGo.
Which destinations inspire you from a design perspective?
We stayed at Ett Hem in Stockholm six years ago, itʼs stuck with me and remains one of my favourite places. The attention to detail, the craftsmanship and the design were all second to none, but it also made me feel instantly at home, which is something I always hope to emulate when guests come to stay.
View this post on Instagram
Some of your favourite places to source homeware?
I think I drag my family around a market/flee/brocante/car boot at every place we visit, and while we always come away with a novelty fridge magnet, I love finding something that I can layer in our home and associate with happy times. Some favourites include a fabulous art deco ice bucket from a family holiday to Palm Springs, glassware from Morocco and a cork tray found while away at a wedding in Portugal. When I’m not travelling, I love trawling an auction site (normally for something super specific that leads me on a wild goose chase) or popping into local antique shops – I seem to have built a collection of favourites strategically placed near frequently visited friends and family.
Your favourite places to shop for art?
Some of my favourite and earliest pieces of art came from Partnership Editions. I bought one of Jonathan Scholfieldʼs Lemons in 2017 to remind me of my time at Spring (lemons being one of Skye Gyngellʼs hero ingredients) and a Hester Finch to celebrate our paper wedding anniversary in 2018. Instagram has also been a total treasure trove for discovering new and old artists. I fell in love with Morag Caisterʼs work via a friend’s Instagram account and later commissioned her to do a portrait of Theo which we will treasure forever. I’ve also bought vintage oils from Tat London and still regret not buying ‘Three pearsʼ from Medium Room. I love sites like The Dot Project and Wondering People, whose careful curations of modern artists are so inspiring. From the latter, I discovered the work of Peter Mears and have a pair of his candlesticks which I adore.
View this post on Instagram
Lead image credit: credit @WILLWARR
We may earn a commission if you buy something from any affiliate links on our site.
Any Questions or Tips to add?