In a sprawling metropolis like London, finding the perfect exhibition space can be quite a challenge. Curator Max Radford ultimately decided to transform an abandoned fire station into the exhibition venue for this year's London Design Festival, inviting several of the city's most promising emerging designers to showcase their work.
This exhibition Grain Pile brings together six designers—Andu Masebo, Eddie Olin, Joe Armitage, Jaclyn Pappalardo, Isabel Alonso, and Lewis Kemmenoe. They collaborated with the renowned British furniture brand Ercol, diving deep into the brand's factories to personally experience various types of wood, ultimately unveiling their own unique collections.
Andu Masebo's work Seconds Stools cleverly repurposes rejected parts from the Ercol production line, giving new life to abandoned materials by reassembling them and treating them with traditional monochromatic spray paint.
Lewis Kemmenoe showcases his masterful wood marquetry skills, playfully collaging vibrant patterns onto the sides of rocking chairs. Eddie Olin takes a bold step into woodworking for the first time, utilizing black-dyed materials to present a dining chair set adorned with iconic metal details. Meanwhile, Isabel Alonso constructs a low table series using geometric elements like arches, cylinders, and flat surfaces.
Additionally, the exhibition features creations by Joe Armitage and Jaclyn Pappalardo. London-based designer Armitage draws inspiration from local architecture, incorporating design elements from the iconic Keeling House by modernist architect Denys Lasdun into his armchairs.
Pappalardo has shattered the traditional boundaries of furniture design, creating a display cabinet that embodies nostalgia and reveals his profound affection for Ercol furniture.
Radford stated that this initiative underwent a year of preparation, showcasing the self-sufficiency of the British design industry and providing a diverse range of resources for the new generation of designers.
He mentioned: Our gallery has always focused on discovering local talents from the UK, and this collaboration with a British brand that still possesses large-scale production capabilities represents a fantastic opportunity. It's invigorating to see the industry actively supporting emerging designers.
Henry Tadros, the great-grandson of Lucian Ercolani, the chairman and founder of Ercol, added: Over the past few years, Max and I have been on a quest to find genuine and meaningful ways to collaborate. I hope designers can see Ercol as a source of inspiration, while also leveraging our production capabilities to bring their designs to life..
Grain Pile officially launched during this year's London Design Festival, with exhibitions set to take place across multiple locations in London and continuing for the near future.
