PROVIDENCE, RI – May 18, 2023
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) is pleased to participate in the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) + WantedDesign Manhattan at the Jacob K. Javits Center during NYCxDESIGN 2023 from May 21–23 in New York, NY. This year RISD’s Furniture Design department will present Rewilded Domesticity at WantedDesign Manhattan (booth W1170). RISD will also take part in All Together Now: Designing for (and with!) the Next Generation, a panel discussion focused on design education and industry partnerships on May 22 at 2:30 pm, part of the ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan Talksprogramming.
Rewilded Domesticity – WantedDesign Manhattan Booth W1170 (May 21–23)
Unbounded by any preexisting definitions or illusions of domestic bliss, Rewilded Domesticity represents a collection of objects that express a collective yearning for connection through bold, organic materiality, honest structure and the inherited wisdom of found artifacts. Acknowledging the angst of displacement, migration, disharmony and inhospitable conditions, these objects fiercely reclaim the agency to make a “home” in any situation and with any chosen collective.
Created not as products, but as tools of in-person interaction, models of care and attention and vessels of meaning, these objects speak loudly of what is deemed to be missing in keyboard strokes, mouse clicks and digital socializing by choosing to demonstrate the physical, emotional and creative labor essential to establishing and nurturing genuine bonds. Not so much a nod to a former existence or traditional techniques, though many are deftly deployed, they serve as an intentional grounding in processes more earthly than virtual. The result is a form of generative utility that facilitates the reciprocal and life-sustaining feedback loop of meaningful connection.
The work includes Chair 03V08 Lite, Vessel 01 by Samuel Aguirre MFA 24 FD, Day Mantle (Heart of the Home) by Bill Carroll MFA 23 FD, Sinew Table by Louis Cohen MFA 23 FD, Untitled by Jonathan Samuel Dinetz BFA 24 FD, Chained Basket by Callum Houck BFA 23 FD, Eternal Recurrence – Landing by Michelle Jiaxin Huang BFA 23 FD, Twig Chair by Yuxuan Huang MFA 24 FD, Fraser Bench by Aydan Huseynli BFA 24 FD, New Land by Han-Ray Jahn BFA 23 FD, Sauna Stove by Cam Lasson BFA 2024 FD, Yellow Study by Theju Nimmagadda BFA 23 FD, Bowline Chair by Jan Rybczynski BFA 23 FD, Reflection Plane by Lisa Sacco MFA 23 FD, Plane Chair by Jake Stockman BFA 23 FD and Oak Chest by Kira Wilson BFA 24 FD.
All Together Now: Designing for (and with!) the Next Generation – ICFF + WDM Talks Stage (May 22)
During the fair, RISD will also participate in a conversation on the power of mentorship and collaboration across generations. RISD Provost Anais Missakian and graduate student Bill Carroll MFA 23 FD will join Patricia Urquiola (founder, Studio Urquiola) and Giulio Cappellini (founder, Cappellini) to discuss the dynamic relationship between emerging talent and seasoned professionals as they shape the future of design together. The panel will be moderated by Interior Design magazine Editor-in-Chief Cindy Allen, presented with the support of Haworth. Register here to attend the talk on May 22 at 2:30 pm. All talks are open to ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan event registrants.
Other RISD Participation at ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan 2023
RISD student Sam Aguirre MFA 24 FD will also be showing work at WantedDesign Manhattan’s Launch Pad, a platform for emerging designers, under the studio name Samindaman.
RISD Furniture Design faculty members will also have a presence. Amy Devers MFA 01 FD, executive producer and host of Clever Podcast, will lead the jury for Launch Pad and present the Emerging Designers Showcase on the ICFF + WDM Talks Stage on May 21 at 4 pm. RISD faculty member Bowen Liu is exhibiting as part of Look Book, a platform dedicated to promoting design and fostering the local and international creative community, at WantedDesign Manhattan.