‘Glazes are like people’: Devin Wilde launches new midcentury-inspired furniture and vessels for DWR

Modern furniture retailer DWR has joined forces with Devin Wilde – one of Wallpaper's USA 400 – to debut a new collection of furniture and vessels, launching today both online and in DWR stores.

The ceramic artist is known for his sculptural approach (he was trained as an architect), as well as for creating objects that balance utility and ornament. The collection for DWR spans vessels, cocktail tables and tables alongside an entirely new design, 'Vessel No. IX', in four new glazes – 'Cobalt', 'Midnight', 'Garnet' and 'Metallic Satin'. These tableware pieces join ten existing designs, forming a collection defined by bold forms and richly saturated hues, all handcrafted in Wilde’s Brooklyn studio by a small team of artisans.

‘Glazes are like people,’ says the artist. ‘Each one has its own way it likes to be handled.’ His mastery of these nuances is evident throughout the collection, which features primary colours inspired by classic midcentury palettes with high-gloss finishes, while his architectural training ensures each piece remains grounded in function. ‘I think of these pieces as usable art,’ he says. ‘They’re meant to be part of daily life.’

‘Devin possesses an extraordinary creative vocabulary and a rare ability to bring together beauty, joy and inspiration,’ adds Omar Nobil, DWR’s creative director. ‘He embodies the kind of thoughtful, forward-looking design perspective that DWR has always championed.’

Wilde has been a fixture in the art scene since his debut vessel collection in 2023 garnered immediate acclaim. Over the past two years, he has been cementing his influence with his distinctive voice: a classicist with a postmodern sense of humour, he borrows from historical design movements while playfully subverting their rules, his work remaining rooted in a clear understanding of form, proportion and structural logic all the while.

Wilde is also inspired by the world beyond the walls of his Brooklyn studio – by long walks through New York City – whether that inspiration comes in the form of geometric brickwork, the curve of an arch or the interplay of light and shadow across architectural details. ‘I’m particularly drawn to the art deco façades of Manhattan’s skyscrapers and the classical revival townhouses of Brooklyn,’ says Wilde. ‘Some of my glazes are meant to recall oxidised metals – the kinds of finishes you’d see on Roman metalwares unearthed after centuries of aging.’

Whether you consider these pieces sculptural objects or everyday tableware, the collection reinforces the notion that beauty and utility belong together.

The collection is now available online and in DWR stores across North America. Prices start at $1,050.