“Seeing things in black and white” can sometimes describe a lack of nuance, but when it comes to design, nothing could be further from the truth. Choose between the darkest dark or the lightest light, or pair them both to create great graphic effects. From objets d’art to wallcoverings, these classic forms add timeless appeal and dramatic contrast.
Mark de la Vega describes the aesthetic of De La Vega Designs as rugged modernism. “We have stayed true to our original vision,” notes the Brooklyn-based designer. “The collection itself hasn’t grown very dramatically over the years. It shows a dedication to these special pieces and techniques, as well as to the craftsman, our space and our studio.”
These techniques include a signature coquille d’oeuf finish, which is based on ancient Vietnamese technique: crushed chicken eggshells are hand-inlaid into resin and lacquer to dazzling effect. The shells shine on both the frames of the Jules Mirror collection and in the trays of the Kent Bar Cart. “I have been saving the remnants of every eggshell project for over ten years in an effort to one day produce this limited collection,” de la Vega shares. “This is living art and collectible design.”
Kent Bar Cart
De La Vega Designs
Jules Mirror
De La Vega Designs
Alberto Coat Stand
Casamania
Shoreline Wall Bag
Moses Nadel
Starting February 18, the Mile High City will look south as Have a Seat: Mexican Chair Design Today opens at Denver Art Museum. Curated by Jorge Rivas, the museum’s Frederick and Jan Mayer Curator of Latin American Art, the exhibition explores Mexico’s history and contemporary culture through the lens of how people park their posteriors.
Among them will be Mauricio Lara Eguiluz’s Chac Seat (pictured above), which echoes the silhouettes of chacmools – reclining, pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican sculptures. Meanwhile, Bárbara Sánchez-Kane’s Body Fillers and Plastified Diet was inspired by Mexican street vendors using plastic buckets for both sitting and schlepping. Her S&M take on these seats speaks to how people transform themselves via plastic surgery. Exhibition visitors can also design their own digital chairs and experience a site-specific installation by Daniel Valero and design firm Mestiz. Rivas describes the latter as “a holistic space where design, art and architecture harmoniously co-exist.” He promises that “visitors will be immersed in a vibrant world of color and imagination.” But they should probably watch where they sit.
Glyph Sconces
Yabu Pushelberg x RBW
Body Fillers and Plastified Diet, 2022
Bárbara Sánchez-Kane
Ceramic Lamps
Erin Hupp
Embroidered Borders
Samuel & Sons
British designer Samuel Ross started his career as a product designer and balanced that with work in street art, experimental film and fashion design, eventually signing on to be an assistant to Virgil Abloh. In 2014 he created his award-winning fashion label A-COLD-WALL*, the success of which has enabled Ross to help support young creatives. In November, the Miami Design District unveiled a permanent installation of three of Ross’s bench designs. The anamorphic forms, made from powder-coated steel, were installed throughout public spaces and pedestrian walkways, addressing the designer’s interest in functionality and service in public arenas.
Clover Square Mirror
Coco Republic
Ignazio Gardella Digamma Lounge Chairs
Forsyth
Odette Table Lamp
Sarah Sherman Samuel
#1586 Garden of the Moondance Roses
Anna Kasabian
Los Angeles–based Trinidadian artist Miles Regis’ large-scale works are stylized renditions of fundamental scenes of love, loss, freedom, survival and activism that weave together contemporary social issues, ancestral history and imagery drawn from his background as a musician and fashion designer. His creations are in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture, among others, and will be featured in the upcoming group exhibition at Andaz West Hollywood. GENIUS: A Celebration of a Legend, translates the essence of Stevie Wonder’s music into a vibrant, visual narrative.
Ward Wallpaper
Greige Textiles
Flock Lounge Chair
NOOM