The latest iteration of Design Miami showcased the boundless energy and inventive spirit reshaping the design world. Nicole Nomsa Moyo’s bold Pearl Jam presentation installed outside marked the show’s entrance, alongside Mathieu Lehanneur’s ethereal floral-fueled immersion inside the fair.
These installations offered a prelude to a unifying thread that ran through the gallery spaces, guided by curatorial director Glenn Adamson’s theme of optimism: Blue Sky. “What makes design different from fine art—or even poetry, music, other disciplines—is that designers need to not only imagine the future, but they also need to build it in a very practical way,” says Adamson. In this vein, a thoughtful interplay of color and materiality echoed throughout each exhibit, reinforcing the notion that design is as much about ingenuity as it is about intention. Here are some of the standouts that captured this forward-thinking spirit.
Gallery Fumi presented works by Kustaa Saksi, Jeremy Anderson and Eelko Moorer against a green backdrop courtesy of Alkemis Paint’s Earthstar (102) hue.
Gallery Fumi
Gallery Fumi’s (galleryfumi.com) exhibition celebrated artisanal craftsmanship, ancestral traditional and material innovation with pieces such as Max Lamb’s slip-cast earthenware chairs, Charlotte Kingsnorth’s hand-painted leather desk and Eelko Moorer’s patinated bronze vase with cascading chains in a vivid cobalt blue.
A textured composition formed for Mindy Solomon Gallery.
Mindy Solomon Gallery
Mindy Solomon Gallery’s (mindysolomon.com) installation was a feast for the eyes thanks to drool-worthy ceramics, mixed-media works and come-hither wall hangings. Conjuring the cool, blue-gray earthy terrain of Patagonia, the gallery shared tactile pieces by artists Katja Hettler and Jula Tüllmann of hettler.tüllmann, Jaiik Lee, Jay Kvapil, Jane Yang-D’Haene, Jacqueline Surdell, Vadis Turner and Frances Trombly.
A hand-carved wooden dining table, reminiscent of a sunlit clearing in a mystical forest, set the scene for Victoria Yakusha’s nature-inspired collection. The Grun chairs, embellished with delicate hand-embroidered beading, captured the essence of morning dew glistening on moss. This exhibit was a heartfelt tribute to Yakusha’s deep connection to the earth and the enchanting spirit of the woods.
Sarah Myerscough Gallery’s textural Dreamscape exhibition brought the bedroom into another dimension.
Sarah Myerscough Gallery’s Dreamscape installation reimagined the concept of the bedroom through a captivating collection of organic forms and multidimensional works by Marc Fish, Christopher Kurtz, Dana Banes, Tadeas Podracky and others. The exhibit invited viewers to expand their perception of space and function, challenging traditional notions of rest and reflection.
A fantastical theme emerged from Friedman Benda’s artful collaboration with Mexican architect Javier Senosiain. His multichromatic tiled pieces set the stage for lighting by Formafantasma, playful planters by Sangree, and Carmen D’Apollonio’s almost-surrealist sconce and floor lamps.
Floris Wubben’s mirror hung above Ian Collings’ bench in The Future Perfect’s space
The Future Perfect showcased two juxtaposing exhibitions exploring a curation of materials from glassworks by Sophie Lou Jacobsen and John Hogan to sculptural lighting by Lindsey Adelman and Karl Zahn. Both sparked a captivating dialogue between form and function, highlighting the limitless boundaries of the imagination.
Mathieu Lehanneur’s serene installation used Alkemis Paint’s Design Miami custom Bauhaus Afternoon (475) hue
Building on Adamson’s vision, Design Miami collaborated with Alkemis Paint co-founders Maya Crowne and Price Latimer to further explore the connection between color and creativity by devising a custom palette for the fair that included hues like Eileen Grey, Fallingwater and Bauhaus Afternoon. Using all-natural, earthen pigments, Alkemis’ nontoxic, handcrafted paints are among the few brands to receive Cradle to Cradle certification. This commitment to sustainability aligns with Design Miami’s ethos, positioning the paint as an heirloom-quality element, much like the collectible design pieces on view.
