John Derian

A decorative artist who lives in New York City, John Derian is America’s leading practitioner of decoupage, the art of cutting and pasting paper images which has its roots in the ancient tomb art of Siberia and became a fashionable pursuit across Europe in the 18th century. In 1989, the Boston-area native discovered his love of painting and collages could be combined into the creation of decoupage works combining beauty and utility. “I’m passionate about anything created by hand and in sharing those with people who are captivated by artisans and their work,” Derian says. With a small atelier of artists, the designer utilizes color reprints of 18th- and 19th-century images from his vast personal archive and pieces them together under glass, often in combination with reproductions of antique calligraphy. The result is a growing product line including plates, vases, trays, paperweights, cachepots, wall hangings, desk accessories, and more. These handmade decorative items are sold at Mr. Derian’s quirkily atmospheric retail shops—two in New York City and a seasonal boutique in Provincetown, Massachusetts—alongside antiques and home accessories he sources around the world.