The creative endeavours of the multi-dexterous designer Marcel Wanders have long been heralded since he debuted his iconic 1996 'Knotted Chair' – a cunning twist of whimsy. In celebration of his radical style, Friedman Benda is hosting ‘Portraits’, Wanders’ first ever solo gallery show in New York.
‘Over the past ten years, Marcel has built a personal body of work parallel to his industrial design and architectural work,’ says Marc Benda, who has supported the Dutch designer’s career for a decade. ‘"Portraits" is unexpectedly personal, intimate and immersive,’ he continues.
‘What I've done is try to create the ultimate combination of traditional crafts and technology, but with the goal of expressing a more intimate and fragile side of myself,’ says Wanders. ‘My personal duality is on display as I want both to shine, but also to reflect what is real as to darkness and brokenness. At times, I express vulnerability, disappointment, disillusion and shame.’
‘Shiqule Nuhai’, two monumental vases, reference Wander’s extensive collection of Delft jewellery. Only, rather than glazing them in traditional blue, Wanders hand-painted the pattern in black to reflect his darker sensibilities. Also on view are three mirrors dubbed ‘Dysmorphophobia 1, 2 and 3’, each edged in craggy stainless steel. ‘Mirrors do to truth what bias does to knowledge,’ he notes.
As one might expect, Wanders’ sculptural works also venture into the quixotic. ‘Tempter’ is a solid bronze rocking unicorn, complete with metal chain stirrups at close to six feet high. The result is as fantastical – and evocative – as ever.
‘Over the past ten years, Marcel has built a personal body of work parallel to his industrial design and architectural work,' gallerist Marc Benda says. '"Portraits" is unexpectedly personal, intimate and immersive’
‘What I've done is try to create the ultimate combination of traditional crafts and technology, but with the goal of expressing a more intimate and fragile side of myself,’ says Wanders. Pictured: a series of Wanders' ceramic One Minute Sculptures
Some of the show's highlights include three mirrors dubbed ‘Dysmorphophobia 1, 2 and 3’, each edged in craggy stainless steel, and 'Shiqule Nuhai', two monumental vases which the designer hand-painted in black to reflect his darker sensibilities
A closer view of 'Shiqule Nuhai' – the designs of which reference Wanders' interests in Delft jewellery design
It's also hard to miss Tempter - a solid bronze rocking unicorn, complete with metal chain stirrups, which measures close to six feet high
INFORMATION
'Portraits' is on view until 9 April. For more information, visit Friedman Benda's website
Photography: Andrew Meredith. Courtesy the designer and Friedman Benda
ADDRESS
Friedman Benda
515 West 26th Street
New York, NY 10001
-
The most comprehensive showing of Nan Goldin’s photographs and films is intense and emotionalNan Goldin's moving-image work makes a heavy impact in ‘This Will Not End Well’ at Milan’s Pirelli HangarBicocca
-
How We Host: Interior designer Heide Hendricks shows us how to throw the ultimate farmhouse fêteThe designer, one half of the American design firm Hendricks Churchill, delves into the art of entertaining – from pasta to playlists
-
Arbour House is a north London home that lies low but punches highArbour House by Andrei Saltykov is a low-lying Crouch End home with a striking roof structure that sets it apart
-
Nadia Lee Cohen distils a distant American memory into an unflinching new photo book‘Holy Ohio’ documents the British photographer and filmmaker’s personal journey as she reconnects with distant family and her earliest American memories
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt’s been a week of escapism: daydreams of Ghana sparked by lively local projects, glimpses of Tokyo on nostalgic film rolls, and a charming foray into the heart of Christmas as the festive season kicks off in earnest
-
Ed Ruscha’s foray into chocolate is sweet, smart and very AmericanArt and chocolate combine deliciously in ‘Made in California’, a project from the artist with andSons Chocolatiers
-
Inside the work of photographer Seydou Keïta, who captured portraits across West Africa‘Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens’, an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, New York, celebrates the 20th-century photographer
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekFrom sumo wrestling to Singaporean fare, medieval manuscripts to magnetic exhibitions, the Wallpaper* team have traversed the length and breadth of culture in the capital this week
-
María Berrío creates fantastical worlds from Japanese-paper collages in New YorkNew York-based Colombian artist María Berrío explores a love of folklore and myth in delicate and colourful works on paper
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekAs we approach Frieze, our editors have been trawling the capital's galleries. Elsewhere: a 'Wineglass' marathon, a must-see film, and a visit to a science museum
-
June Leaf’s New York survey captures a life in motionJune Leaf made art in many forms for over seven decades, with an unstoppable energy and fierce appetite leading her to rationalise life in her own terms.
