The Rooms, titled after an empty living room and bedroom Thomas Kim and I filled with designed objects by 12 designers and artists. The curation of the exhibition focused on semi-awkward and non-traditional objects that are ultimately usable. The creative direction of this project is a representation of my obsession for how materiality and forms come together in spaces. Documentation can be seen below.
Vanessa Lee Jackson. Black Mold Shelf (2019) Paper pulp, paint, dye, resin & flocking. 48" W x 43" T x 12" D.
Black Mold Shelf was created under the principles of ornamental biophilic design, intended to abstractly mimic the properties of mold in a functional manner.
Jonathan Ma. Junglefowl Chair (2018) White Ash 20” x 20.5” x 37”.
Junglefowl Chair was created with the intention of capturing the humorous and redundant features of nature’s various creatures through the use of organic forms in repetition.
Susannah van der Zaag. A Convergence of Two Dispositions (2019) Amaranthus, agrostemma, pear, garlic scapes, asparagus fern, foam and tray. 24” x 10” x 10”
A Convergence of Two Dispositions is A celestial pocket merged with the contents of your Aunt’s home garden.
Ethan Arff. White Bench (2019) Powder coated Aluminum, 44” x 16” x 17”.
White Bench is fabricated from 11-gauge aluminum sheet stock, via brake forming on a pan brake. The piece is both an exploration and celebration of brake forming.
Lucy Pelletier. Water Jug 1 (2017) Clay, 15”W x 12”H. Handbuilt ceramic water jug with spinning handle. Water Jug 2 (2017) Clay, 15”W x 12”H. Handbuilt ceramic water jug with double spout.Water Jug 3 (2017) Clay, 14”W x 12”H. Handbuilt ceramic water jug.
Lucy Pelletier. Two-way Water Jug (2018) Clay, 21”W x 6”H x 5”D. Handbuilt ceramic water jug with double spout
Aidan Taylor & Briar Gill. Together Without Chairs (2019) Pine and corrugated steel. 84” x 37” x 19”
Designed for this show, the prototype’s approachable form serves as a gathering point for groups of various sizes. Its narrow width and standing height aims for short intermissions of closeness.
Hi Thanks Bye - Topher Kong and Stein Wang in collaboration with Avis Ho. OO Area Rug [Collection O] (2018) 50% New Zealand Wool, 45% Tencel® Fibre, 5% polyester. Ø132 cm.
OO Area Rug. Breathing in the damp air, walking along the shore of Fogo Island, the plush feeling of stepping on the moss. These memories were evoked when we made the rug OO. Hand-tufted with a blend of material including New Zealand wool, polyester bands and Tencel® fibre.
Hi Thanks Bye - Topher Kong and Stein Wang in collaboration with Avis Ho. FO Floor Lamp [Collection O] (2018) Powder coated steel frame; frosted glass globe, hand-woven fringe. W54 x D20 x H165 cm.
FO Floor Lamp is A poetic interpretation of the moon shining over Lake Ontario. By utilizing a traditional Chinese textile-making technique, Hi Thanks Bye’s cold steel and organic fringe floor lamp FO is designed to represent a blend of two cultures.
Emma Chorostecki. Stools II (2019) Solid Hard Maple, Wood Bleach, Waterbase Varathane. 12" x 12" x 14".
Kick up your feet. Reach that top shelf. Water your plants. Rest that glass of water down.
Josi Smit. Cozy 3 BDRM Above Vibrant Cabbagetown (2018) Digital print on silk georgette, steel. 58 x 80 x 15”
In the air between us and the “things” we engage with, there is always a subtext of associations and expectations. From outlines we spark attachments and recognitions: particle board is for round side tables that hide underneath lace cloths; sunflowers belong on tea towels in sunlit kitchens. As a part of a larger project, Cozy 3 BDRM Above Vibrant Cabbagetown focuses on the home as the original site of memories and imaginations that propel us in tides of desire towards objects, the way this desire proliferates through the promises contained in advertising and housing markets, and speculates ways quiet freedoms can emerge from immersions in fantasy.
