Karl Lagerfeld’s first sculpture show opens at Carpenters Workshop Gallery Paris
Quite the renaissance man, there seems no end to Karl Lagerfeld’s creative talents. Recent weeks have seen the fashion powerhouse commended for his collaboration with Puma, as well as a wave of praise for his recent Chanel S/S 2019 collection which premiered on a catwalk beach during Paris Fashion Week.
Look back further and the list of achievements of this Wallpaper* guest editor diverges further from fashion; it is as heterogeneous as it is surprising. Illustrator, photographer, reality TV show star and film director, Lagerfeld has also put his name to a teddy bear in his likeness and the design of a series of residences.
Most recently, he has taken to sculpture. The solo show ‘Architectures’ at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in the Marais presents a series of marble sculptures by Lagerfeld, created in collaboration with the architect Aline Asmar d’Amman. The pair most recently worked on the renovation of Paris’ Hôtel Crillon, where Lagerfeld installed a two-tonne bath cut from a single block of Carrara marble; this show is the continuation of the work that began there.
In keeping with the gallery’s remit, these are not so much sculptures as design pieces. One might call them functional sculpture, but for this categorisation I refer you to Franz West’s current exhibition at the Centre Pompidou instead. Despite the coolness of the milky marble, and the decidedly impractical dimensions, there is a decadent domesticity to the works which take the form of pier tables, lamps, fountains, and mirrors.
Heavily influenced by Antiquity — an epoch which, according to Lagerfeld, knew no such thing as bad taste — each piece is created in both black Nero Marquina marble and Arabescato Fantastico in editions of eight, the latter of which has not been quarried for over 30 years. Hovering between the ancient and the contemporary, it is intriguing to see the sculptural design work of a man whose influence over all aesthetic spheres has been so ubiquitous for so many years.
INFORMATION
Karl Lagerfeld’s ‘Architectures’ is on until 22 December. For more information visit the Carpenters Workshop Gallery website.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Maude’s Brâncuși-inspired sex toys go on display in a new Paris exhibition
Maude’s design-led vibrators are now on display at Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, as part of ‘Private Lives: From the Bedroom to Social Media’. Brand founder Éva Goicochea talks to Wallpaper* about partnering with the museum and opening up cultural conversations around sex
By India Birgitta Jarvis Published
-
‘I was captivated by the idea of merging two iconic brands’: Nigo on his 1990s-inspired collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz
Unveiled at Moncler’s ‘The City of Genius’ event in Shanghai this past weekend, Japanese fashion designer Nigo unpacks his three-way collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz, which includes a play on the G-Class alongside a fashion collection in his eclectic style
By Jack Moss Published
-
Cathay Pacific’s new business class Aria Suites take flight
Cathay Pacific raises the bar for business-class travel with the launch of the much-anticipated Aria Suites
By Lauren Ho Published
-
Jewellery meets art at Carpenters Workshop Gallery
Carpenters Workshop Gallery jewellery collection is unveiled, as the gallery partners with jewellers and designers for sculptural new pieces
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
True colours: Roger Herman's vibrant vessels at Carpenters Workshop Gallery
By Henrietta Thompson Last updated
-
Welcome wagon: Carpenters Workshop Gallery sets up home in New York
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Pavilion of Art and Design London 2015: the Wallpaper* edit
By Sujata Burman Last updated
-
Nicolas Ouchenir’s ‘portraits-signature’ go on show at Colette
By Jean Grogan Published
-
Karl Lagerfeld headlines the 30th anniversary of the Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography
By Katrina Israel Published
-
Pavilion of Art & Design London 2014: the highlights
By Nick Compton Published
-
Design Miami/ Basel 2013: an insider’s view
By Caroline Roux Published