Two Atlanta Artists Present New Endeavor, Impossible Currency
By Caroline Perrott | Published on December 14, 2022
What makes the perfect artist studio? It varies from artist to artist, dependent on how they hone their craft, what materials they require, and what headspace they need to be in. For Atlanta-based artists Sheyda Mehrara and Kristen Giorgi, it was physical space, tall ceilings, ample natural light and the rare chance that their respective needs and wants aligned.
Impossible Currency, their shared studio/showroom space that has popped up in Buckhead Village, is a lesson in neutrals and texture and an amalgamation of the pair’s inspirations, admiration, and passions. “Impossible Currency is our studio and playground. It’s where we both create art, [as well as] style it—as if it were in our own homes,” says Mehrara, who is a full-time artist, as well as full-time membership manager for Soho House, overseeing Atlanta and Charleston, and the founder of her own marketing agency. “When I’m there, I’m present,” she continues. Her counterpart, Giorgi, is also a multifaceted artist, having collaborated with national brands like Lunya and CB2 in the past and amassed a huge following, both local and otherwise. The two crossed paths at a brand event and fostered a deep, creative connection. “Sheyda has brought so many cool and crazy-talented people into my life. Her dedication to the community and building relationships is inspiring in itself,” says Giorgi.
It was at the beginning of this year that they both found themselves lacking the physical space needed to grow and harboring a fear that lack of excitement would seep into their work. “[The goal of the space] was to have a showroom feel, but with the added raw element of our creative process happening out in the open for people to watch,” says Giorgi. “We want it to feel like things are happening here.”
Alongside using the space as their studio, the pair will fill the space with an ever-evolving tableau full of vintage furniture and found objects. “We procure pieces all the time for our own collections, so we feel it only natural to add this as part of Impossible Currency’s offerings,” says Giorgi. “I’m a bit of an antique hoarder,” adds Mehrara. “And Kristen likes to edit, so that [dynamic lends itself] to constantly moving, shifting, adding, subtracting to keep the space fresh.” Visiting the space, you will find Giorgi and/or Mehrara painting on the floor—“both Kristen and I paint on the floor. It’s primal in some ways but feels the most intuitive,” says Mehrara—and plenty of inspiration to pull from for your next project, whatever that may be.
