Summer Group Show at HB381 Gallery.
Photo: Joe Kramm
9 Must-See Collectible Design Shows in July 2024
From a showcase of female glass artists at HB381 in New York to an incredible display of contemporary stoneworks in Chicago
“Souvenirs of a Forgotten Past” at Luminaire Chicago. Photo: SolidNature
1. “Souvenirs of a Forgotten Past” at Luminaire | Chicago
For a special presentation coinciding with NeoCon, boutique stone brand SolidNature tapped nine artists with the help of a group called Secrets of the Universe to create a collection of bespoke “souvenirs” carved from its spectacular array of colorful stone varieties. Each of the talents—a group that includes Bureau Spectacular, Chris Adamick, Saba Yazdjerdi, and Smith-Clementi—mined their own cultural backgrounds to dream up functional objects that reflect their personal, sometimes provocative, narratives. Tehran-born Yazdjerdi, for instance, reimagined a traditional Persian pen case as a way to represent the tension that exists between preservation of heritage and the struggle for freedom of expression. The enthralling works will be on view at Luminaire’s Chicago showroom through August 10 before traveling to San Francisco and Los Angeles.
An installation view of the Summer Group Show at HB381 in New York. Photo: Joe Kramm
2. Summer Group Show at HB381 | New York
Contemporary works by five of today’s most distinguished Scandinavian glass artists are beautifully arrayed at HB381 for the Manhattan gallery’s annual Summer Group Show. Spotlighting Stine Bidstrup, Lene Bødker, Frida Fjellman, Hanna Hansdotter, and Maria Koshenkova through August 16, the exhibition is brimming with dazzling confections that represent an array of techniques including casting, mouth-blowing, sand-blasting, and mirroring. Each of the five women produce works of differing forms and functions, with some favoring hard-edge crystalline shapes and others going a more Baroque, organic route—but they are all united by their desire to push the bounds of what is possible through the famously finicky medium.
“In Conversation” at Carpenters Workshop Gallery’s Los Angeles outpost includes a chair by Maarten Baas. Photo: Carpenters Workshop Gallery
3. “In Conversation” at Carpenters Workshop Gallery | Los Angeles
The history of modern chair design comes into focus at Carpenters Workshop Gallery’s latest show, “In Conversation,” open through August 9 in Los Angeles. On view are a collection of striking seats by design titans including Gerrit Reitveld, Wendell Castle, Ron Arad, Rick Owens, and Maarten Baas—all of whom utilize different mediums and techniques to reinterpret what is possibly the world’s most ubiquitous item of furniture. Visitors should be sure to check out the gallery’s rear exhibition hall to discover a fiery display of new works by Lea Mestres, Roger Herman, and Niko Koronis—none of which are chairs.
An installation view of “Coetir” at TIWA Gallery in New York. Photo: brian ferry
4. “Coetir” at TIWA Gallery | New York
Alex Tieghi-Walke, founder of New York’s TIWA Gallery, grew up in the south of Wales with a love for the great outdoors, especially the ancient forests that have long inspired Celtic and Pagan myths. For his gallery’s latest exhibition, “Coetir” (woodland in Welsh), Tieghi-Walke sourced objects from 20 international makers who explore themes in their work that evoke the textures, light, and ambience of those sacred places. Through July 18, stop by to discover stunning mosaic vessels by Emily Frances Barrett studded with teeth, bone, and freshwater pearls; handmade bronze miniature houses by A History of Frogs; leaded stained-glass lanterns by Zachary White; and throne-like chairs crafted out of California Bay Laurel and Redwood by Vince Skelly.
“Meditations on Movement” at Twenty First Gallery in New York. Photo: Courtesy of Twenty First Gallery
5. “Meditations on Movement” at Twenty First Gallery | New York
“The notion of movement is at the center of my creative process,” says Vincent Corbière, the French-born artisan whose furnishings and lighting creations are the subject of a new show at Twenty First Gallery in Manhattan alongside pieces by his textile designer-artist partner, Anne Corbière. Visit the downtown space through July 31 to see “Meditations on Movement,” which features sculptural pieces made in the last decade that perfectly illustrate the pair’s mastery of woodworking techniques and expert use of upholstery to weave compelling narratives. The Meissa stools, for instance, feature handwoven tweed cushions set atop trunk-like walnut bases carved with nods to Greco-Roman fluting—a poetic juxtaposition of strength and delicacy.
Shuji Nakagawa Mokkougei’s new show at Les Ateliers Courbet in New York. Photo: Les Ateliers Courbet
6. Shuji Nakagawa Mokkougei at Les Ateliers Courbet | New York
For his first solo show in the United States, master Japanese woodcrafter Shuji Nakagawa Mokkougei, who hails from a long lineage of Kyoto wood sculptors, has installed new pieces in the front gallery of New York’s Les Ateliers Courbet. The works on view include stunning marquetry vessels made of lignified Japanese cedar, as well as wooden buckets inspired by Alvar Aalto vases, with the painstaking craftsmanship evident in each work. On view through August 30, the exhibition will run alongside a solo show by Valéria Nascimento at the gallery.
Najla El Zein’s new show at Friedman Benda in New York. Photo: Izzy Leung
7. “Opacity, Transparency, and Everything in Between” at Friedman Benda | New York
Beirut-born designer Najla El Zein has a special talent for coaxing an inherent softness out of hard materials such as ceramic, stone, and glass. For her second solo show at Friedman Benda, called “Opacity, Transparency, and Everything in Between,” this ability is on full display thanks to a pair of monumental stone works, one in veined travertine, the other in mesmerizing ceppo, both of which feature curvaceous forms nested together, as if huddling for warmth. Currently based in Amsterdam, El Zein has also brought along a selection of transparent glass objects that complement the stone pieces, distilling the magic of a fleeting moment, frozen in time.
“Upwelling” at Wexler Gallery in Philadelphia. Photo: Wexler Gallery
8. “Upwelling” at Wexler Gallery | Philadelphia
Now through September 30, Philadelphia’s Wexler Gallery is presenting “Upwelling,” a show that spotlights six artists with diverse practices: Trish DeMasi, Gregory Nangle, Jason Spivack, Mami Kato, Tanja Softic, and Edward McHugh, many of whom are based in the city. The exhibition borrows its name from the natural phenomenon of cold water rising to the top of the ocean, a process mirrored by the talents included in the show, who draw from their personal depths of creativity to produce their work. Of particular note for design collectors is DeMasi, whose biomorphic ceramics are inspired by the natural world and begin as drawings or paintings before being rendered in 3D form. “I want to blur the lines between design, fine art, and craft,” she says. “Labels can stifle creativity.”
A vignette of pieces by Michele Oka Doner, Kim Mupangilai, and Wendy Maruyama on view at Superhouse in New York. Photo: Luis Corzo
9. “The Odd Couple, American Art Furniture: 1980–Now” at Superhouse | New York
Fast-rising Australian architect Andre Bahremand, who has worked for top firms including MVRDV and OMA, designed the latest installation at New York’s Superhouse, “The Odd Couple, American Art Furniture: 1980–Now,” on view through August 17. Encompassing works from the past four decades, the show looks at different periods in American collectible design, including the functional art movement and the studio craft movement. Each piece was carefully selected to represent artists who contributed to the “art furniture” discipline, among them Michele Oka Doner, Dan Friedman, and Pippa Garner.
Cover: Summer Group Show at HB381 Gallery.
Photo: Joe Kramm
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