Study O Portable’s ‘Rubber Rocks’ at Gallery Fumi: review

Rubber furniture installed in pink gallery space with concrete floor — For its first solo show at Gallery Fumi, London-based studio Study O Portable has created a series of furnishings made from erasers

(Image credit: Hayley Nash, Peggins Egg Studio)

At first glance, London's Gallery Fumi appears to have been filled with a set of carved granite furnishings – monolithic stools, consoles and benches arranged like the scattered remnants of a classical ruin. But step closer and the illusion gives way: what looks heavy and enduring is, in fact, soft and pliable to the touch.

These are no stone relics, but rubber sculptures cast from erasers of all things – the work of London-based duo Study O Portable, presented here in their first solo show at the gallery. 'It’s always nice to see something that confuses you slightly and then finding out what it is,' Mukai says of the trompe-l’œil sculptures. 'That moment of discovery or figuring out is something we always like to have in the work.'

Called 'Rubber Rocks', the cast and hand-sculpted pieces – which include stools, armchairs, coffee tables, benches, consoles and planters – are made from erasers collected by the designers, Bernadette Deddens and Tetsuo Mukai, who founded their practice in 2009. 'We always liked erasers as an object and have a modest collection from different places,' Deddens tells Wallpaper*. 'They seem to exist in a precarious state where it’s only useful when it disappears.'

The series explores the contrast between granite – a material associated with permanence – and rubber erasers, which are destined to vanish. 'It seems strange at first,' continues Deddens, 'but even things we consider “permanent” also disappear eventually. This line of thinking led to things like Roman ruins – as depicted by Piranesi and later fetishised by John Soane – and how we inherit ideas from the past even when the material no longer exists.'

hand sculpted rubber chair — Each one is cast and hand-sculpted from granulated rubber mixed with marble dust and pigments selected to recall the appearance of granite

The manufacturing process begins with pigmenting the rubber to create colours that mimic the subtle variations of granite. It is then granulated, mixed with marble dust and cast into simple geometric shapes. These forms are hand-carved to resemble weathered architectural elements – crumbling arches, truncated columns – evoking a sense of romantic decay.

hand sculpted rubber stool — The series is a playful exploration of permanence and ephemerality

At the gallery, the pieces are presented in what the designers describe as a 'somewhat nonchalant way' that invites interaction and exploration. Alongside the work, visitors can browse a selection of books and images of locations connected to the exhibition’s conceptual roots, including depictions of a Scottish granite quarry and a Norman castle, and The New Zealander by Gustave Doré, which imagines London as a ruin. 'As with anything, a work is made up of many small fragments of ideas, and we wanted to share a small selection of these granules of ideas within the show,' Mukai explains.

'Rubber Rocks', the gallery states, marks a new chapter in Study O Portable’s evolving practice. 'What we appreciate about Study O Portable’s work are the hallmark elements that define their practice: trompe-l’œil, unexpected materiality, and at its core, brilliantly executed functional design,' say Fumi’s founders, Sam Pratt and Valerio Capo. 'This new series embodies all of that. It’s strange yet familiar, weird and wonderful.'

'Rubber Rocks' runs from 15-28 June 2025 at Gallery Fumi, 2–3 Hay Hill, Mayfair, London W1J 6AS

galleryfumi.com

studyoportable.com

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hand sculpted rubber bench — (Image credit: Tom Wright, Penguins Egg Studio)

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Ali Morris is a UK-based editor, writer and creative consultant specialising in design, interiors and architecture. In her 16 years as a design writer, Ali has travelled the world, crafting articles about creative projects, products, places and people for titles such as Dezeen, Wallpaper* and Kinfolk.