8 Collectible Design Shows to See in May
From Moroccan woodworker Hamza Kadiri’s swooping charred ash furniture to glimmering Venetian glass totems by Italian artisan Marcantonio Brandolini D’Adda
May is ripe for renewal, growth, and fertility—and this far-reaching crop of collectible design shows is sure to sow creative seeds as the industry treads further into a busy season of fairs, gatherings, and cultural events. We journey through Korean-American heavyweight Minjae Kim’s surreal microcosm of Los Angeles, complete with plaster lions prowling around clay figurines of humans, and enter the whimsical universe of French talent Léa Mestres, who recreates the majesty of her home country’s rolling landscapes on mosaic tables and rough-hewn luminaires. The below crop of shows intentionally omits New York City; expect dedicated coverage of the vast swath of exhibitions opening around town during NYCxDesign later in May.
1. “Léa Mestres: Welcome to Mestresville” at Carpenters Workshop Gallery | Paris
Léa Mestres considers the design industry self-serious, so the Giverny-based talent is instead throwing open the doors to her own universe of whimsy and nostalgia. Outfitting the pristine Paris gallery of Carpenters Workshop Gallery are her one-of-a-kind works that reflect her latest experiments in texture, color, and materiality, such as a dining table outfitted with chromatic mosaic tiles depicting verdant French landscapes near the Spanish border. Creamy mosaics and rough-hewn concrete clad a series of oversize freestanding luminaires, putting a colorful spin on Catalan Modernisme while also offering an alluring look into Mestres’ creative realm.
On view through June 7
2. “Spring in Los Angeles” at The Future Perfect | Los Angeles
In February, The Future Perfect quickly restructured its Frieze L.A. presentation to spotlight artists who were impacted by the previous month’s devastating wildfires. Now, the collectible design gallery’s storied Goldwyn House has unveiled an exhilarating array of pieces originally slated for that time. MyungJin Kim will transform the pool house into a dreamlike fantasia of nature-inspired ceramics backdropped by a hand-painted botanical mural; nearby are four captivating sculptures by California ceramicist Stan Bitters that embody his distinct approach to craft. Roaming the sculpture gardens, meanwhile, are slinky mirrored sculptures by Bower that distort the visual plane and cast distorted reflections.
On view through June 20
3. “Marcantonio Brandolini D’Adda: Moduli Luminosi” at David Gill Gallery | London
Venice’s long-held glassblowing traditions are central to the practice of Marcantonio Brandolini d’Adda, whose mother, Marine Brandolini, founded the esteemed drinking glassware company Laguna~B in 1994. In the Italian designer’s first solo exhibition at David Gill Gallery, he offers a nuanced reinterpretation of Venetian glassmaking—and the legacy held by his mother’s company, which he now operates—through a series of striking sculptures that employ raw fragments of Cotissi glass. Meticulously constructed piece by piece, each glass shard comprises lustrous totems honoring one of Italy’s most vital modes of creative expression.
On view through May 26
4. “Hella Jongerius” at Galerie Kreo | Paris
Since founding her research-based studio Jongerliuslab, the Dutch designer Hella Jongerius has never stopped experimenting with materials, colors, and textures. Her latest solo exhibition brings together recent works from several ongoing series at the intersection of all three, most notably Beads Objects, in which entirely handmade tangles of knotted cotton ropes and porcelain beads inspired by Dutch fishing nets are draped over wooden tables and consoles.
On view through July 26
5. “Hamza Kadiri: Monochrome Absolu” at MCC Gallery | Marrakech
Hamza Kadiri has apprenticed worldwide to perfect time-honored cabinetry and marquetry techniques, which he practices with the utmost dedication from his Casablanca workshop to create emotionally resonant functional sculptures imbued with grace and poetic appeal. From biomorphic tables carefully hand-carved in charred solid ash or oversize armoires employing bronze, each piece wields raw forms and organic textures to plumb the emotional complexities of existence and our connection with nature.
On view through June 30
6. Dudd Haus | Philadelphia
Since JONALDDUDD launched a decade ago, the rule-breaking design showcase has strived to present offbeat furniture that embodies real conversations happening within the design sphere with a contrarian edge that deliberately eschews commercial conformity. Co-founder Chris Held, the creative force behind furniture brand Nice Condo, largely achieved his mission with temporary exhibitions that often emerged as a must-see during NYCxDesign in years past. Now, he and guest curator Charles Constantine recently opened Dudd Haus, a permanent space in Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood. The bricks-and-mortar was inaugurated with a presentation that encapsulates the full breadth of the platform’s renegade repertoire of designers, from Hamilton Holmes and Hannah Bigeleisen to a solo exhibition of works by Michael Saunders on view through the end of May. If traveling to Philadelphia isn’t an option, look out for JONALDDUDD’S showcase at forthcoming design fair Shelter during NYCxDesign, where the platform will present a lively group show curated by Chen & Kai.
On view indefinitely.
7. “Minjae Kim: Phantom–22” at Marta | Los Angeles
Drawing inspiration from Buster Keaton’s seminal silent film One Week (1920) and named after the famous mountain lion in Griffith Park, Minjae Kim’s most ambitious solo outing yet mounts a microcosm of Los Angeles through architectural follies and surreal scenography that reference the spectres of the city. Plaster mountain lions and other fauna prowl the exhibition’s borders while diminutive clay figures converse and carouse. Three bar stools with raw silk upholstery can be maneuvered around the floor. Tall fiberglass panels emulating the form and patterning of clapboard siding form the facade of a saloon, letting light in or blocking it out completely.
On view through May 31
8. “Grace Atkinson: All in Each” at Spazio Leone | London
Grace Atkinson brings her richly tactile, perception-bending textiles to Spazio Leone for a solo exhibition weaving newly completed works with historical pieces from the gallery’s collection. Inspired by one of psychologist R.D. Laing’s poetic texts examining human relationships, the New Zealand–born textile designer explores the entanglements of form, function, and emotion through handwoven blankets, tapestries, and sculptural soft furnishings. The result is a poetic, materially driven meditation on how we relate to space, sensation, and each other.
On view through May 18