Inner Space at The Future Perfect.
Photo: Sam Frost
7 Collectible Design Shows to Check Out in March
From works by Isamu Noguchi and JB Blunk at The Future Perfect to Friedman Benda’s new exhibition by Estúdio Campana
Max Lamb’s new show, “Inventory.” Photo: S94 Design
1. “Inventory” at Salon 94 Design | New York
A trove of eclectic treasures awaits at S94 Design on the Upper East Side, where British furniture designer Max Lamb’s latest exhibition has just gone on view. A retrospective of undocumented works spanning 2007 to today, the must-see “Inventory” features a staggering 282 separate pieces from the archives that were in various states of development and had never been properly exhibited. The sweeping breadth of Lamb’s multifaceted practice is illustrated through the use of 33 disparate materials, among them silver leather, granite, marble, copper, glass, polystyrene, wool, pewter, and even a Cypress tree given to him while a resident at JB Blunk’s studio in Northern California. Look closely, as the riveting showcase might even hint at tricks to come.
Inner Space at The Future Perfect. Photo: Sam Frost
2. “Inner Space” at The Future Perfect | Los Angeles
The work of Northern California artist JB Blunk, who died in 2002, serves as the nucleus of The Future Perfect’s current group show, “Inner Space,” at The Goldwyn House in Los Angeles. On view through May 1, the exhibition spotlights Blunk’s head-turning oeuvre, including a pair of sculptural Cypress thrones, various ceramics, and even jewelry studded with amber, coral, and brass. Sparking a creative dialogue with Blunk’s rough, imperfect forms is a café set by minimalist master Isamu Noguchi, whose galvanized steel table and chairs feature poetically interlocking contours. Also in the mix are stunning pieces by contemporary talents on the gallery’s roster: Minjae Kim, Ian Collings, and Alana Burns.
“On the Road,” a new exhibition by Estúdio Campana in New York. Photo: Timothy Doyon
3. “On the Road” at Friedman Benda | New York
The first solo exhibition to be conceived with Humberto Campana as sole principal designer since the passing of his brother, Fernando, Estúdio Campana’s new show at Friedman Benda kicks off a series of installations marking 40 years since the firm’s inception. Open to visitors through April 20, “On the Road” showcases Campana’s recent desire to reconnect with his roots, turning to time-honored materials such as adobe and a textile called capim dourado, which is native to the Jalapão region of central Brazil. Creating added contrast are welded scraps of aluminum that have been transformed into dazzling components for mirrors, lighting, and benches. There’s also a 2024 version of their famous Jalapão Chair, this one clad white sheepskin and leather.
“Crossing Over” at Carpenters Workshop in Los Angeles. Photo: charles white
4. “Crossing Over” at Carpenters Workshop Gallery | Los Angeles
Italian artist Vincenzo De Cotiis has brought a suite of his timeless collectible design pieces to Los Angeles for his first solo show in the city, taking place at Carpenters Workshop Gallery through June 19. Stop by and be blown away by the technical wizardry and unbridled creativity that De Cotiis deploys to conceive sleek furnishings with a primitive edge, including a cabinet made of hand-painted fiberglass and German silver as well as a floor lamp in antiquated glass and brass. “Crossing Over is a journey, an exploration in search of places that I have seen and spaces that exist in my imagination,” he says. As always, the avant-garde works are both poetic and covetable.
“Made in China” at Objective Gallery. Photo: HAO ZHENHAN
5. “Made in China” at Objective Gallery | New York
For the latest exhibition at Shanghai-based Objective Gallery’s New York outpost, founder Chris Shao sought to interrogate the stigma historically associated with the “Made in China” label by spotlighting a trio of talents working in ceramics who were either born or are based in the Asian nation: Matt Watterson, Hao Zhenhan, and Ryan Mitchell. Stop by starting March 14 to see how each takes the ancient medium in fresh directions, and—Shao hopes—become intrigued to discover the incredible creative talents emerging and reinventing modern Chinese craft.
“Space Craft” at Galerie kreo. Photo: Alexandra de Cossette
6. “Space Craft” at Galerie kreo | Paris
Art Deco meets Techno-Futurism at Paris designer Jean-Baptise Fastrez’s first solo outing at Galerie kreo, “Space Craft,” on view through April 15. A follow up to his 2019 Vivarium collection made for the gallery, these new pieces include interstellar-inspired mirrors, tables, stools, and a sideboard—all methodically crafted to merge traditional methods such as marquetry with more contemporary shapes and motifs, including the grid of solar panels. “Today, with the Mars project and space tourism, we’ve entered a new space age,” says Fastrez. “If the rockets are back, they’re taking off from a planet that’s not the same at all.” Here, Fastrez has conjured a language all his own that reflects not just aspirations but boundless imagination.
Pieter Maes’ latest series is on view at Les Ateliers Courbet. Photo: les ateliers courbet
7. “Clay” at Les Ateliers Courbet | New York
Born in Belgium and based in Paris, fast-rising designer Pieter Maes found inspiration for his latest series, Triad, in the monolithic forms that emerged during the Bronze Age’s Cycladic period some 5,000 years ago. Working with a second-generation art foundry outside of Athens as part of the gallery’s Editions Courbet program, Maes crafted a series of striking hand-modeled bronze chairs and consoles that made their original at the most recent Design Miami but are now on view in New York, through March 16. Also at the gallery are two of his newest upholstered creations: a swooping, Kagan-esque sofa clad in bouclé and a leather ottoman with two waterfall edges that act as legs.
Cover: Inner Space at The Future Perfect.
Photo: Sam Frost
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