11 international creatives erase the boundaries between art and furniture

From Barcelona to Brooklyn, the avant-garde creations of these designers:inside are shaking up the design community.

Fernando Mastrangelo's hand-colored floor lamp "September" is part of his new collection "The Persistence of Nature". A commentary on climate change, September celebrates what Mastrangelo sees as the inevitable event: Mother Nature reclaiming her rights on Earth. Photo: Fernando Mastrangelo

Whether it's expansive abstract paintings or small sculptures cast in bronze, art evokes feelings in us. As a rule, we look at works of art from a distance, beyond which they have no functional use. Now we are observing a new trend among international designers. They design furniture that fulfills its specific purpose - it provides a flat surface for eating, brings light into dark rooms, or serves as a vessel for flower arrangements - and at the same time it is undoubtedly an artistic work itself.

From the Canadian couple who create lamps inspired by Coco Chanel's iconic pearl necklace to the weaver in Barcelona whose source of ideas is her Ghanaian heritage, more and more designers:around the world are creating furniture whose function is complemented by an emotional, artistic impact.

Elnaz Namaki's penchant for Midcentury forms is evident in her "Jolene" chair and stool.

Photo: Elnaz Namaki Studio

"My penchant for mixing styles and my desire to create unique, eclectic, multi-layered interiors is informed by different design currents," explains British-born Elnaz Namaki. The Iranian designer spent her childhood between London and the surrounding countryside, later living in Paris and Istanbul. Her English roots are integral to her designs: midcentury shapes upholstered in shearling that are anything but typical living room furniture. "They are inspired by hygge, the heart of Danish culture, which fulfills the longing for coziness and comfort," Namaki says. "My 'Luuna' collection conveys that very warmth and comfort that Hygge embodies."

Djivan Schapira's glossy interiors are a new dimension of statement pieces.

Photo: Randy Bredy

Something nostalgic resonates with Djivan Schapira's lacquered furniture - like his coral-colored resin dining table for 12, which resembles a surfboard and stands on cylindrical legs. Or the table lamp made of a shiny wooden disc with red inlay, or the striking coffee table with brass bands on its moss-green surface.

The works of the 28-year-old Frenchman have a retro touch that is the result of his varied interests: "Besides vintage cars, space age design, lava lamps and the French countryside where I grew up, I am most inspired by my father, Antoine Schapira," says Djivan. All of these diverse influences can also be found in the works the young New York artist is exhibiting at High Line Nine Galleries in New York through the end of March.

Many of Larose Guyon's works - like this "Otéro" lamp - are inspired by fine jewelry.

Photo: Larose Guyon

Audrée Larose and Félix Guyon - partners in job and life - celebrate Old World elegance in their work. Made in their studio in Verchères, Québec, the pieces are crafted by local artisans with savoir-faire who have mastered traditional techniques. Their creations range from globe lights - a tribute to fashion icon Coco Chanel - to chandeliers made of glittering brass discs as a nod to Pierre Le Royer. "We always say that while we are not doctors and we don't save lives - we always try to find a purpose in our work. Ours is to bring poetry and magic into the home," Larose says.

Poetry and magic are the results of her work. That fine jewelry is the source of inspiration for her sensual collections is made clear by works such as "Perle 1," a softly marbled globe lamp, and "Otéro," an elegant tribute to Caroline Otéro with her passion for gleaming jewelry. Larose says, "For our new collection, to be launched in spring 2022, we also took inspiration from the surrounding majestic nature, exploring and reinterpreting it."

Rugged and striking are the individual works of South African ceramicist Andile Dyalvane.

Photo: Andile Dyalvane

Earthy and elegant, the delicate terracotta ceramics of South African artist Andile Dyalvane combine his Xhosa culture with modern flair. His vases, plates and vessels feature cubist-like human figures and are inspired by Dyalvane's childhood spent in the village of Ngobozana. "The education system was influenced by the apartheid regime, and curricula were designed to discriminate against groups. Subjects like art were not allowed, so I was not allowed to see myself as an artist from a young age," Dyalvane explains.

Dyalvane, however, was fascinated by clay whenever he encountered it. He has since used the material to develop his distinctive gritty, raw and organic style. He says today, "Gratitude and joy are key in my process."

Ricardo Graham Ferreira uses only local woods for his sculptural furniture. The fact that there is always an element of surprise in his work is demonstrated by the ramie cord used to make the back of his three-legged chair.

Photo: Erika Castro

Ricardo Graham Ferreira spent his childhood in the coastal city of Rio de Janeiro, but when he started his own business he moved to a small mountain village. In his studio in Nova Friburgo, Ferreira handcrafts sculptural, intricate furniture out of wood. "I express my inspiration through wood and use artisanal techniques to transform the material into furniture and decorative pieces." His works - lounge chairs made from recycled tropical wood with backs made from ramie cords and plant fibers, or three-legged stools that express simplicity and elegance - are poetic and detailed.

"I only use local recycled tropical woods from sustainable forests," Ferreira says. And although many manufacturers use local woods, finding unique materials deep in the Amazon is a uniquely Brazilian take on furniture design.

Smooth cement on the outside, rugged rock salt on the inside: Fernando Mastrangelo's work represents opposites.

Photo: Cary Whittier

"For ten years I created sculptures and in 2013 I started making furniture. Now I can use my sculpting skills to create conceptual, functional furniture," says Fernando Mastrangelo of New York's Catskill Mountains. His works - angular, hand-stained cement tables framing jagged rock-salt interiors, round wall mirrors covered in colored sand, and benches made of cement and crushed glass - play with the contrasts of soft and rough.

Clean lines and hard materials meet a soft pale color palette. "My work is about beauty, metaphors and abstraction," Mastrangelo says. And that becomes abundantly clear when viewing his works, which also contain a subtle warning about climate change.

The "Beice" armchair by Merve Kahraman shows the designer's love of whimsical design.

Photo: Beyza Coruhlu

Merve Kahraman studied molecular biology and genetics and had no intention of becoming an artist. Until she made a bold turn when she realized "I was more interested in creating than studying creation," she says. The Turkish-born designer worked in various studios in Istanbul until she enrolled at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan. "A friend told me my designs looked like something out of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and I liked that comparison because that fairy tale was my favorite story growing up," she recalls.

Kahraman's work features whimsical elements: Marble side tables with legs wrapped in Alexander Girard's famous plaid fabric, a cotton candy-inspired armchair balanced on walnuts, and a metal and rattan floor lamp with a design reminiscent of Saturn. At the same time, the works also have a deeper meaning: "I take inspiration from the relationship between object and owner and ask myself, 'Why do we create an emotional connection with some designs and not others?'" For her works, on view at the renowned STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN gallery, she uses materials - primarily marble - that she considers "as alive as we are."

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