Spanish designer Nacho Carbonell creates functional artworks whose scale and organic nature are inspired by the ecological landscape of Valencia from the artist’s childhood, where the land saturated with sunlight results in a specific type of vegetation. Sculpted with plaster and black sand applied onto a metal mesh structure, Earth Clod Armchair 2 reflects the artist’s fascination with texture, demanding to be explored up-close. The new Getty Table continues Carbonell’s exploration of organic form and hybrid materials but through a distinct structural approach, with a sprawling metal structure emerging from two solid, jagged bases resembling rocky landforms.
Ingrid Donat is one of the most influential living artists in the decorative arts. Her work Buffet Facettes is a bronze cabinet that reflects the artist's skill for integrating sculptural practice into functional pieces of art. The repetitive, mathematical pattern on the surface of the work is achieved through a precise process of wax casting, imbuing the work with meaning and symbolism. Commode Ooni, one of Ingrid Donat's masterpiece works, exemplifies her profound understanding of form, texture and craftsmanship. The commode is a triumphant return to her signature aesthetic of linear scarification, a technique she has refined over the years to create intricate patterns that adorn the bronze surfaces of her creations.
The display also features work by Maarten Baas, Aki+Arnaud Cooren, Kendell Geers, Thibault Hazelzet, Atelier Van Lieshout, Gareth Mason, Frederik Molenschot, Giacomo Ravagli, Sylvain Rieu-Piquet and Studio Job. Together, the exhibited pieces celebrate leading, pioneering voices of collectible design, both past and present. As Design Miami marks its two-decade milestone, Carpenters Workshop Gallery considers the forces that have shaped present-day design, while also looking ahead to the far-reaching impact of the discipline in future.
