The creative endeavours of the multi-dexterous designer Marcel Wanders have long been heralded since he debuted his iconic 1996 'Knotted Chair' – a cunning twist of whimsy. In celebration of his radical style, Friedman Benda is hosting ‘Portraits’, Wanders’ first ever solo gallery show in New York.
‘Over the past ten years, Marcel has built a personal body of work parallel to his industrial design and architectural work,’ says Marc Benda, who has supported the Dutch designer’s career for a decade. ‘"Portraits" is unexpectedly personal, intimate and immersive,’ he continues.
‘What I've done is try to create the ultimate combination of traditional crafts and technology, but with the goal of expressing a more intimate and fragile side of myself,’ says Wanders. ‘My personal duality is on display as I want both to shine, but also to reflect what is real as to darkness and brokenness. At times, I express vulnerability, disappointment, disillusion and shame.’
‘Shiqule Nuhai’, two monumental vases, reference Wander’s extensive collection of Delft jewellery. Only, rather than glazing them in traditional blue, Wanders hand-painted the pattern in black to reflect his darker sensibilities. Also on view are three mirrors dubbed ‘Dysmorphophobia 1, 2 and 3’, each edged in craggy stainless steel. ‘Mirrors do to truth what bias does to knowledge,’ he notes.
As one might expect, Wanders’ sculptural works also venture into the quixotic. ‘Tempter’ is a solid bronze rocking unicorn, complete with metal chain stirrups at close to six feet high. The result is as fantastical – and evocative – as ever.
‘Over the past ten years, Marcel has built a personal body of work parallel to his industrial design and architectural work,' gallerist Marc Benda says. '"Portraits" is unexpectedly personal, intimate and immersive’
‘What I've done is try to create the ultimate combination of traditional crafts and technology, but with the goal of expressing a more intimate and fragile side of myself,’ says Wanders. Pictured: a series of Wanders' ceramic One Minute Sculptures
Some of the show's highlights include three mirrors dubbed ‘Dysmorphophobia 1, 2 and 3’, each edged in craggy stainless steel, and 'Shiqule Nuhai', two monumental vases which the designer hand-painted in black to reflect his darker sensibilities
A closer view of 'Shiqule Nuhai' – the designs of which reference Wanders' interests in Delft jewellery design
It's also hard to miss Tempter - a solid bronze rocking unicorn, complete with metal chain stirrups, which measures close to six feet high
INFORMATION
'Portraits' is on view until 9 April. For more information, visit Friedman Benda's website
Photography: Andrew Meredith. Courtesy the designer and Friedman Benda
ADDRESS
Friedman Benda
515 West 26th Street
New York, NY 10001
-
Ikea introduces its first gaming furniture collectionBrännboll is the first Ikea gaming furniture collection, unveiled during Milan Design Week 2024 and designed to swiftly transform a domestic space into a gamer’s paradise
-
Morgan take their classic roadster and give it subtle but significant tweaks for 2024New details and features give the compulsive Morgan Plus Four an even more pared back silhouette and driving ability
-
Wallpaper* Class of '24 exhibition now open at Triennale MilanoWallpaper* Class of '24 exhibition at Triennale spotlights international emerging talent in furniture and product design, with the support of AHEC and SNOW (until 21 April 2024)
-
The Met’s ‘The Real Thing: Unpacking Product Photography’ dissects the avant-garde in early advertisingA new exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York explores the role of product photography and advertising in shaping the visual language of modernism
-
Tony Notarberardino’s Chelsea Hotel Portraits preserve a slice of bygone New York life‘Tony Notarberardino: Chelsea Hotel Portraits, 1994-2010’, on show at New York’s ACA Galleries, is the photographer’s ode to the storied hotel he calls home and its eclectic clientele
-
‘LA Gun Club’: artist Jane Hilton on who’s shooting who‘LA Gun Club’, an exhibition by Jane Hilton at New York’s Palo Gallery, explores American gun culture through a study of targets and shooters
-
Detroit Institute of Arts celebrates Black cinema‘Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971’ at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) brings lost or forgotten films, filmmakers and performers to a contemporary audience
-
BLUM marks 30 years of Japanese contemporary art in AmericaBLUM will take ‘Thirty Years: Written with a Splash of Blood’ to its New York space in September 2024, continuing its celebration of Japanese contemporary art in America
-
Todd Gray’s sculptural photography collages defy dimension, linearity and narrativeIn Todd Gray’s New York exhibition, he revisits his 40-year archive, fragmented into elaborated frames that open doors for new readings
-
Frieze LA 2024 guide: the art, gossip and buzzOur Frieze LA 2024 guide includes everything you need to know and see in and around the fair
-
New York artist Christopher Astley showcases an alternative natural worldAt Martos Gallery in New York, Christopher Astley’s paintings evoke an alternative natural world and the chaos of warfare (until 16 March 2024)
