It's hard to wrap a 30-year career up into a single show. But such was the challenge of self-taught French designer Eric Schmitt upon choosing his pieces for his first ever UK solo exhibition, taking place at London’s Dutko gallery.
An eclectic vibe is felt immediately on entering the compact Mayfair space, the curation in which travels through various eras – from art deco to contemporary design movements – stopping at different European influences along the way.
Seating the delicate 1996 bronze and leather 'Chauffeuse Osselet' – an elegant deco piece – alongside modern black lacquered bronze and aluminium tables marks a real transition over time. ‘My work is a result of the sculptor I almost am, the architect I would like to have been and the designer I am not entirely,' Schmitt explains of the multifaceted works.
When discussing the sheer breadth of materials he utilises, the Frenchman reveals that he likes to combine craftsmen who have never worked together. For example, his bohemian glass arrives from where the experts lie, the Czech Republic, and he introduces this to Italian marble, creating something unique.
Standing out among the works is the 'Scale' dresser from 2008, that appears as an Italian radical design. Made entirely from marble scales, its remarkable, whimsical character shone in the white washed space.
Whether the pieces stand as sculpture, furniture, or artworks, their quality and stories are too strong and hard to consume in just one small art space. So it's not surprising that Schmitt’s show was launched alongside a monograph on his oeuvre. The eponymous tome is an intimate, humble testament that gives us an insight into the many phases of his life (he is both a horseman and music lover) that have shaped his world of design.
His work shifts through various artistic eras, from art deco to more contemporary design movements. Pictured: 'Roc' dining table, 2010
Pictured left: 'Stromboli' pedestal table, 2012 and 'Fuji' pedestal table, 2012. Right: 'Cordouan' floor lamp, 2015
‘My work is a result of the sculptor I almost am, the architect I would like to have been and the designer I am not entirely,' Schmitt explains of the multifaceted works
Pictured left: 'Chauffeuse Osselet', 1996. Right: 'Goodboy Console', 2011
INFORMATION
'Eric Schmitt' is on view at Dutko until 7 May. For more information, visit Dutko's website
-
A new motoring monograph digs into high-end restomods, from AC to MG and beyondRestomods: Cars Reimagined explores the art and craft of the restomodded classic car, the newest pathway to personalised, luxury mobility
-
Nieves González paints Lily Allen at a turning pointA portrait that holds a woman in her own authorship; Nieves González paints Lily Allen with steadiness, clarity, and quiet power. This is an image that carries history and the present moment in the same breath.
-
Arket teams up with cult Swedish brand Massproductions on a new design collectionA selection of objects from Massproductions' The Little Things collection are now available via Arket in exclusive editions
-
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 British capital this week
-
Viewers are cast as voyeurs in Tai Shani’s crimson-hued London exhibitionBritish artist Tai Shani creates mystical other worlds through sculpture, performance and film. Step inside at Gathering
-
Who are the nine standout artists that shaped Frieze London 2025?Amid the hectic Frieze London schedule, many artists were showcasing extraordinary work this year. Here are our favourites
-
Doc’n Roll Festival returns with a new season of underground music filmsNow in its twelfth year, the grassroots festival continues to platform subcultural stories and independent filmmakers outside the mainstream
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors' picks of the weekThe London office of Wallpaper* had a very important visitor this week. Elsewhere, the team traverse a week at Frieze
-
Chantal Joffe paints the truth of memory and motherhood in a new London showA profound chronicler of the intimacies of the female experience, Chantal Joffe explores the elemental truth of family dynamics for a new exhibition at Victoria Miro
-
Leo Costelloe turns the kitchen into a site of fantasy and uneaseFor Frieze week, Costelloe transforms everyday domesticity into something intimate, surreal and faintly haunted at The Shop at Sadie Coles
-
Can surrealism be erotic? Yes if women can reclaim their power, says a London exhibition‘Unveiled Desires: Fetish & The Erotic in Surrealism, 1924–Today’ at London’s Richard Saltoun gallery examines the role of desire in the avant-garde movement
