‘Tra L'Occhio e L'Ombra’: Sam Orlando Miller gets illusory at Gallery Fumi
Gallery Fumi celebrates British designer Sam Orlando Miller with an exhibition of new works at its Hoxton Square space. Titled ‘Tra L'Occhio e L'Ombra’ (an Italian title meaning 'between the eye and the shadow'), this is the first solo show for the sculptor, better known for his graphic mirrors.
The exhibition presents two new collections, Sguardo Cubetti and Nostalgia Futuro, each exploring Miller’s visual language and expanding his aesthetic research. The designer once again worked with mirrored surfaces and geometric shapes to create the two series of objects, offering a new layer to his work.
The Sguardo Cubetti series includes six pieces shaped as trompe l’oeil grids. The large three-dimensional sculptures combine different mirror colours (obsidian grey, amber, midnight blue) with painted panels. ‘A box with a door,’ Miller calls each piece; the series is based on simple geometric illusions, made precious by the brilliant colour treatments.
Notalgia Futuro, meanwhile, comprises four wall-hanging pieces that merge mirrored surfaces with studio interior scenes painted onto patinated panels. Yet another illusion, the pieces are non-mirrors that ‘transform the hard reality into a world of softness and ambiguity’, says the designer.
Ombra e Riflesso completes the show’s rich composition; it’s a small sculpture featuring two owl figurines, offering a novel organic approach to his work. Made of marble quartz, green mirror and oak, the pair is expressive and puzzling, inspired by Miller’s close encounter with an owl.
‘Opening a box always offers the chance of the unexpected,’ says Miller. ‘A small thrill of anticipation irrespective of what the box might or might not contain. This work is about that moment; between the visible and the invisible, inside and outside, reality and illusion.’
INFORMATION
’Tra L’Occhio e L’Ombra’ is on view until 30 June. For more information, visit Gallery Fumi’s website
Photography courtesy of Helen Miller for Gallery FUMI
ADDRESS
Gallery Fumi
16 Hoxton Square
London, N1 6NT
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.
-
Pierre Jeanneret and Edward Armitage: tracing design inspiration in Chandigarh
British designer Joe Armitage set off for Chandigarh, India, to trace his grandfather Edward’s footsteps and recreate a photograph of the latter’s ‘Armitage’ lamp. A trail of intrigue around its inspiration lay in wait, as he reveals
By Joe Armitage Published
-
Los Angeles’ best fine-dining restaurants
LA boasts a creative food scene driven by some of the world’s most innovative chefs. Browse the Wallpaper* guide to the city’s best fine-dining restaurants
By Kevin EG Perry Published
-
First look at Maison 3, an eclectic new Parisian bar for sleepless nights
Maison 3 is an enigmatic space with a sensual atmosphere brought to life by the French studio Les Beaux Jours Architectures
By Fabienne Dupuis Published
-
Love, melancholy and domesticity: Anna Calleja is a painter to watch
Anna Calleja explores everyday themes in her exhibition, ‘One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night’, at Sim Smith, London
By Emily Steer Published
-
Ndayé Kouagou speaks the language of the chaotic social media influencer in London
Ndayé Kouagou celebrates meandering incoherence with an exhibition, ‘A Message for Everybody’, at Gathering in London
By Phin Jennings Published
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper* editors have been doing this week
A snowy Swiss Alpine sleepover, a design book fest in Milan, and a night with Steve Coogan in London – our editors' out-of-hours adventures this week
By Bill Prince Published
-
Discover psychedelic landscapes and mind-bending art at London’s Tate Modern
'Electric Dreams' at the Tate encompasses the period from the 1950s to the beginning of the internet era
By Hannah Silver Published
-
From activism and capitalism to club culture and subculture, a new exhibition offers a snapshot of 1980s Britain
The turbulence of a colourful decade, as seen through the lens of a diverse community of photographers, collectives and publications, is on show at Tate Britain until May 2025
By Anne Soward Published
-
Meet Kenia Almaraz Murillo, the artist rethinking weaving
Kenia Almaraz Murillo draws on the new and the traditional in her exhibition 'Andean Cosmovision' at London's Waddington Custot
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Inside Jack Whitten’s contribution to American contemporary art
As Jack Whitten exhibition ‘Speedchaser’ opens at Hauser & Wirth, London, and before a major retrospective at MoMA opens next year, we explore the American artist's impact
By Finn Blythe Published
-
Doc'n Roll Film Festival makes its loud return to the UK
The 11th edition of the Doc'n Roll Film Festival celebrates music, culture and cinema from around the world
By Smilian Cibic Published