Max Lamb cardboard designs on view at Gallery Fumi

Max Lamb Cardboard furniture — (Image credit: Thomas Joseph Wright - Penguins Egg Photo)

'Box' is a new body of work by Max Lamb, shown at London's Gallery Fumi (until 18 November 2023) and featuring furniture made from cardboard.

Throughout his career, Lamb has often experimented with materials usually overlooked in furniture design, or used traditional matter in innovative ways. His past furniture collections have included a series of pieces made using a tree felled from his grandfather's garden, and seating made with boards made of recycled textiles by Kvadrat Really.

He also often works with materials that we'd consider more traditional in furniture-making terms, but when he does, his approach is unique, as he experiments in his workshop bending metal, creating puzzle-like compositions from wood and stone, and drilling marble.

Max Lamb cardboard designs: ‘Box’ at Gallery Fumi

Lamb's collaboration with Gallery Fumi dates back to the early days of his career, when gallery founders Valerio Capo and Sam Pratt spotted his furniture made of expanded polystyrene with polyurethane rubber coating. Over the years, his work for the gallery has included Japanese lacquer and tufted pillow-like furniture, as well as an ongoing development of the ‘Poly’ series.

For this latest body of work, Lamb went back to the single material concept, creating 30 objects (mostly seating and tables) that stem from his interest in sustainability and the challenge of elevating scrap materials through his designs.

Lamb wanted to experiment with a pile of cardboard that has been accumulating at the studio, including cardboard tubes, corrugated cardboard and delivery boxes, offering a spectrum of colours, shapes and textures. The process involved Lamb cutting, scoring, crushing and reassembling the pieces, using bolts, screws, paper gum tape and a wheatbased glue he developed using flour and water.

By assembling the volumes into layers, he was able to create a structure that has the strength of wood or stone, while exposing the making process and the material's origin. With this method, he created classically archetypal chairs, balloon-like stools, chunky tables as well as designs that recall Lamb's pieces in much different materials.

‘From the early days when we showed Max’s first works at our original gallery in Shoreditch, we've watched him grow alongside us,' says Capo. 'His latest project is a true testament to his talent and creativity and we feel fortunate to be a part of his artistic journey.'

'Box' by Max Lamb is on view until 18 November 2023

Gallery Fumi
2-3 Hay Hill
London W1J 6AS

galleryfumi.com
maxlamb.org

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Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.