‘The North American Pavilion’ is a new exhibition curated by Alex Tieghi Walker, bringing together eight newly established galleries from Mexico, Canada and the US to present work by independent designers and makers at London’s Frieze Gallery (22 – 24 June 2023).
The project is supported by Danish footwear brand Ecco, which worked with experience designer Random Studio to create custom seating for the exhibition.
The facade of No.9 Cork Street with custom bench by Random Studio for Ecco
Tieghi Walker, a London native long established in the US and currently based in New York, is the founder of Tiwa Select, a design gallery and curatorial platform focusing on emerging creatives and artisans. ‘There's something very interesting about America being a melting pot of cultures,’ he says. ‘From the influence of Asian culture on design, art and architecture, to the Latin American impact on creative disciplines and the indigenous craft found in places like Arizona and New Mexico. What really triggered my stepping into this world is this emphasis on craft, and traditional techniques, this entire graph of cultures existing side by side in the US.’
Wentrcek & Zebulon seating, Dino Matt ‘Untitled’ vessel and Minjae Kim ‘Untitled Chair’, painting by Virva Hinnemo presented by Marta
For the exhibition, he called upon Bruises Gallery from Montréal, New York Gallerists Emma Scully and Jacqueline Sullivan, Marta and Noon Projects from LA, Studio IMA from Mexico City and Of The Cloth, based between New York and Atlanta. Tieghi Walker himself takes part in the displays, with an exhibition of textiles from across the US, ranging from Navajo and Diné weavings, to Applachian quilts and textile works by the Gee’s Bend quilting collective, shown alongside contemporary works, by Palestinian-American artist Jordan Nassar, and Diné artist Ishi Glinski.
Brecht Wright Gander ‘Illumination Machine’, Simone Bodmer-Turner ‘Tulip Lamp II’, Rooms Studios ‘Mirror 3’, ‘Mirror 4’ and ‘Mirror 5’, EJR Barnes ‘Sandolo Biposto’ for Emma Scully Gallery
‘There’s a version of modern America that likes to think of itself as being American, but actually, the visual language of the US has been handed down by so many different cultures and generations. And that's what I'm looking forward to showing in London,’ continues Tieghi Walker. His curation of the participants is based on each gallery’s understanding of the way these cultures have merged across America ‘to create the modern American identity’.
The North American Pavilion is on view until 24 June 2023
Frieze Cork Street
No. 9 Cork Street
London, W1S 3LL
Kristen Stain “Mugg Planter,” “Necking Ring Pot,” and “Adorned Mugg,” Henry Rolnick “Karma” for Of the Cloth, a gallery from New York and Atlanta who created a display around the question 'shall we return?'
Mitch Iburg “Ember Buried Vessel #242,” Fernando Laposse “Luffa Divider” for Mexico City's Studio IMA, whose display is focused on exploring natural materials and artisanal techniques
David Shull “Palm and Shadow,” Maddy Inez Leeser “Ghostpipe,” Ben Borden “Candelabrum” and “Excavation, Residue” for Noon Projects, an LA gallery with a focus on queerness and craft processes
Trevor Bourke ‘Untitled’ and Florence Provencher ‘Fishbone Chair’ for Montreal's Bruises Gallery, whose display explored 'the concept of a sanctuary: The feeling of refuge in a room adorned with objects of veneration'
Ella Mae Irby “Housetop (Twelve Block Variation),” Ishi Glinsky “Sedentary Sky” for Tiwa Select
-
London calling! Artists celebrate the city at Saatchi YatesLondon has long been an inspiration for both superstar artists and newer talent. Saatchi Yates gathers some of the best
-
Mark Ronson and Raye team up on jazzy summer anthem, 'Suzanne'The collaboration came about to mark 150 years of Audemars Piguet
-
Eurostar announces new direct trains to Switzerland and GermanyFollowing a new culinary offering and the unveiling of refurbished premier lounges, Eurostar reveals its plans for direct travel from London to Geneva and Frankfurt by the early 2030s
-
‘Designers are far more than just producers of commercial goods’: Samuel Ross on the London Design BiennaleThe artistic director of the major event and founder of A-COLD-WALL* discusses the role of a designer and the future of the sector in an exclusive interview
-
London Craft Week 2025 highlights – what to see this weekendLondon Craft Week 2025 (until 18 May) brings together some 1,000 established and emerging makers. Here is everything we saw and loved so you don't miss a thing
-
Erasers become architectural illusions at Gallery FumiLondon duo Study O Portable unveil 'Rubber Rocks', trompe-l’œil furniture made from erasers, exploring themes of materiality, memory and architectural decay
-
Liberty at 150: a history of the brand in 10 objectsLiberty is marking its 150th anniversary; to celebrate, we remember products and prints that helped make the department store the cultural touchpoint it is today
-
A first look inside the new Oxford Street Ikea. Spoiler: blue bags and meatballs are includedThe new Oxford Street Ikea opens tomorrow (1 May), giving Londoners access to the Swedish furniture brand right in the heart of the city
-
What to see at London Craft Week 2025With London Craft Week just around the corner, Wallpaper* rounds up the must-see moments from this year’s programme
-
Nature sets the pace for Alex Monroe’s first sculpture exhibitionThe British designer hops from jewellery to sculpture for his new exhibition at the Garden Museum, London. Here, he tells us why nature should be at the forefront of design
-
A new London show explores material magic with medieval melancholyInspired by deconsecrated monasteries, interior designer and curator Jermaine Gallacher takes us on a journey through time and mood in a London exhibition at The Ragged School
