Million Dollar Listing with Lucas Stoffel

New York, NY

Follow me on instagram: @lucasstoffel 

The Empress: A Regal Presence on Washington Square Park

In a world where luxury meets art, few things are as captivating as the seamless blend of fine living and artistic expression. My latest work, “The Empress,” a 48" x 72" acrylic on canvas, captures this very essence of opulence and creativity. It’s an ideal centerpiece for spaces as extraordinary as the $26.5 million Greenwich townhome recently featured by Ryan Serhant, known for his shows on Netflix, Owning Manhattan and Million Dollar Listing.

Just steps from Washington Square Park, this historic West Village trophy townhouse was also featured in a 2023 episode of The Kardashians. Once the East Coast love nest of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott, it has been highlighted in prestigious publications like Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, The New York Post, 6sqft, and The Observer.

“The Empress” is more than just a painting; it’s a celebration of the divine feminine energy, an homage to the archetype of power, fertility, and beauty. In tarot, The Empress represents abundance and creativity, and I’ve sought to capture these qualities through a rich color palette that evokes both warmth and majesty. The large format of the canvas allows the viewer to be enveloped by this energy, drawing them into a world where elegance reigns supreme.

Just as Ryan Serhant curates homes that are more than just residences but works of art in their own right, he has used several of my pieces in this space, including my incredible canvas of the Taoist temple tops in Taiwan. This majestic Taoist Dragon, measuring 48" x 72", is a stunning addition to the guest wing, where other high-profile guests like Beyoncé stay while in Manhattan.

Million Dollar Listing:

The six-story home at 80 Washington Place comes with a classic Georgian red brick facade — and quite the musical history overall. Built in 1839, the stately townhouse was formerly home to composer and conductor John Philip Sousa, who created classic American marches like “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” “Semper Fidelis” and “The Liberty Bell.”

At 8,757 square feet, the smart-wired home features six bedrooms, eight baths, a custom glass elevator and three outdoor spaces. Floating wood stairs with a glass banister lead to a garden level with a foyer, an open chef’s kitchen and a double-height living room with a custom gas fireplace. A garden off the living room features an outdoor space with a teak cabana and kitchen designed by legendary restaurateur Silvano Marchetto.

Bloom: Where Tradition Meets Immersion

New York, NY

Follow me on instagram: @lucasstoffel 

In my latest series, Kaleidoscopic Blooms, I delve deep into the world of Japanese floral motifs, transforming centuries-old traditions into a contemporary visual experience. Drawing inspiration from the elaborate flower patterns worn by Kyoto geishas, this series reimagines the elegance of Japanese art through a kaleidoscopic lens. The paintings capture the delicate beauty of cherry blossoms, peonies, and chrysanthemums—each element meticulously refracted and rearranged to create stunning new patterns that explore the boundaries of abstraction and symmetry.

But these five paintings are only the beginning of the story.

A Multisensory Experience

Bloom is not just a collection of paintings; it's an immersive installation that invites viewers to step into a blooming world of color and movement. Each painting is displayed alongside its digital counterpart—a moving kaleidoscope that loops the refracted patterns in an endless dance of transformation. The digital projections capture the essence of the paintings and bring them to life in a way that traditional media alone cannot. Patterns morph, bloom, and dissolve in an ever-changing loop, creating a living artwork that is constantly evolving before the viewer's eyes.

To enhance the experience, 8-foot silk fabrics, printed with the same patterns found in the paintings, hang from the ceiling. These floating silks invite viewers to move through the space, interacting with the delicate, flowing materials as they are enveloped in the imagery. The silks echo the painted and digital forms, creating a bridge between the physical and the ephemeral, the static and the dynamic.

Tradition and Modernity in Dialogue

At the heart of Bloom is a conversation between tradition and modernity. The floral patterns I’ve used are deeply rooted in Japanese culture, often seen in kimonos worn by geishas as they glide gracefully through the streets of Kyoto. These motifs carry centuries of history, symbolism, and cultural significance. Yet, by fracturing and recombining these images through a kaleidoscope, I’ve sought to create something new—patterns that speak to both the past and the present.

The digital element adds yet another layer of contemporary relevance. By integrating technology into the experience, I can manipulate these traditional patterns in ways that would be impossible with paint alone. The continuously looping kaleidoscope animation offers a never-ending bloom—an embodiment of the idea that beauty is both transient and eternal, constantly changing yet forever present.

Cranes by Lucas Stoffel

Dasies by Lucas Stoffel

Peonies by Lucas Stoffel

Peacock by Lucas Stoffel

Mums by Lucas Stoffel

Bloom by Lucas Stoffel

The Art of Immersion

With this series, I aim to go beyond the canvas and create an immersive, multisensory experience that engages the viewer in new ways. The combination of traditional painting, digital animation, and tactile silk fabrics invites viewers to interact with the artwork, not just as observers, but as participants in the unfolding of the visual story.

Bloom is an invitation to enter a world of blossoming beauty, where the boundaries between art, technology, and the viewer blur. By combining elements of Japanese tradition with modern techniques, this series creates a unique experience that is at once rooted in history and pushing the boundaries of contemporary art.

This installation is not just about viewing art; it’s about experiencing it—stepping into a space where every element works in harmony to transport you to a world of color, movement, and endless blooming.

Kyoto Butterfly Garden: Geisha Paintings

Kyoto, Japan

Artworks by Lucas Stoffel Fine art prints available on Etsy.

Kyoto Butterfly Garden at the Prince George Gallery by Lucas Stoffel

The allure of Kyoto's Gion district became a unique and mysterious fascination for me as a photographer. Gion holds fame as one of the country's oldest and most renowned geisha districts. Every evening at dusk, I would position myself on a side street, hoping to capture the mesmerizing sight of these elegant women gracefully darting about like butterflies, moving from one place to another. Patiently waiting in the shadows, I aimed to capture the beauty of their kimonos and striking faces through my camera lens.

e presence of geishas in Gion traces back to ancient times when the district flourished as an entertainment hub and a center for cultural activities. Geishas played an integral role in entertaining guests at high-class teahouses, parties, and banquets, showcasing their talents through dances, musical performances, and refined conversations, enriching the events with their artistry and grace.

Kyoto Geisha 1, Lucas Stoffel

Kyoto Geisha 2, Lucas Stoffel

Kyoto Geisha 3, Lucas Stoffel

Geisha's by Lucas Stoffel

This series is a direct reflection of my inspiration from those nights spent running around Gion, with my camera poised like a butterfly net. These Geisha Paintings came from those days in Kyoto.

Kyoto Butterfly Garden at the Prince George Gallery by Lucas Stoffel

The Kyoto Butterfly Garden and other works were on display at the Prince George Gallery in New York, 15 East 27th Street August 12th - 20th, 2023. For more information about hosting this exhibition please contact lucasstoffel@me.com

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