An Artist’s Dream: The Louis Vuitton’s 2023 ArtyCapucines collection

Since 2019, Louis Vuitton has provided a blank canvas for selected global artists to reinvent its classic capucine bags as works of art by annually launching the limited edition Artycapucines collection. Each specially designed bag stands as a testament to Louis Vuitton's unwavering dedication to integrating innovative design and artisanal craftsmanship to support artists and their creative endeavours.

This year, the ongoing collaboration involves five leading contemporary artists — Billie Zangewa, Ewa Juszkiewicz, Liza Lou, Tursic & Millie, and Ziping Wang — who have brought their unique visions to the timeless and classic Capucines bag.

Scroll on to read an exclusive Q&A session with Malawian artist Billie Zangewa, one of the five brilliant artists contributing to this remarkable collection. Billie shares her insights and inspiration behind her masterpiece, which draws its beginnings from “The Swimming Lesson”.

Tell us a little bit about your background. Where you grew up, your family, education, interests.

I am a visual artist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. I work predominantly with raw silk. I was born in Blantyre, Malawi to a Malawian father and a South Africa mother. I was raised in Gaborone, Botswana. I studied Fine Art at Rhodes University in Grahamstown South Africa. After graduating, I moved back to Gaborone and that is where my career as an artist began.

What's the first artwork you recall seeing that really left an impression on you? How did it make you feel?

I was in primary school when my best friend at the time showed me a portrait drawing of Princess Diana that she had drawn at home the night before. It was in the eighties. I was so touched by this unexpected surprise that I just knew right then and there that I wanted to give people that feeling. It's hard to describe the feeling but it was in my stomach.

Tell us about any significant events or people in your life that informed your decision to pursue life as an artist - or perhaps influenced the specific type of work you're making?

My friend showing me the drawing was the biggest influence. It set me on a path. Watching my mother's sewing group was also instrumental but only in retrospect. I also have a love of texture and tactility so working with fabric was almost inevitable.

What do you see as the recurring themes in your work - the storytelling, the things that you look to express through your work?

Daily life, ordinary everyday things and domesticity are the big themes in my work. However, underneath these themes are the themes of identity and autobiography.

Tell us about the specific artwork - or elements of your work - that your Artycapucines bag is based on, and about the process of translating your work onto the bag.

For my Artycapucines, I chose my work "The Swimming Lesson" as the starting point. I wanted firstly to honour my son whose arrival has been the main event of my life and my biggest inspiration. But I also felt that the colours would give a luminosity which I felt was fitting for this iconic bag. Although the water makes the piece look peaceful, it was in fact a very difficult moment in my son's life where I realised that with some challenges all I can do is cheer from the sidelines and that I cannot carry the burden for him. 

Tell us about working with the team of expert artisans at Louis Vuitton to make your bag concept and aesthetic a reality through craftsmanship. And tell us about your own sense of craftsmanship?

The process of realising the bag was so educational for me. I learnt that there are super-efficient people out there that can realise just about every vision and I was shown that just about anything was possible in terms of rendering. I have deep respect for the Louis Vuitton team and enjoyed the process immensely. What I do is really quite basic but I have some understanding of surface and texture and conveying ideas through the exploration of them.

The Capucines bag is relatively small in scale. Did this influence your approach to working?

In comparison to some of my work, it is small, but I approached it very differently to how I approach my work because of the fact that it's a three dimensional object, giving me the opportunity to express myself differently to what I'm used to... I also tend to carry small bags so it's really relative.

The Capucines bag is a moveable object, so this collaboration effectively takes your work out into the public space. How do you feel about the Artycapucines bag you've created having a life of its own, beyond your control?

I love it! The thought of it being carried by different women all over the world is so exciting for me. It's like engaging in a collaborative performance piece, where those carrying the bag are the players executing it. Very cool.

Do you consider this project as art or as fashion?

I consider it a meeting of art and fashion. Perfect synergy!

Watch Billie Zangewa talk about her artistic process and experience working on the ArtyCapucines Chapter 5 project.

Continue scrolling to discover how other artists have transformed the iconic Capucines bag for this year's breathtaking collection.

Ewa Juszkiewicz

Nationality: Polish
Fun fact: She draws inspiration from her surrealistic artwork in 2021, 'Ginger Locks'

Liza Lou

Nationality: American
Fun fact: She is best known for her use of beads in large-scale sculptures

Tursic & Millie

Nationality: Franco - Serbian
Fun fact: They reinvented the bag in a signature flower shape and drew inspiration from their painting 2021, 'Tenderness'

Ziping Wang

Nationality: Chinese
Fun fact: She designed the smallest bag in the collection using mini Capucines