Providence, RI – May 2, 2024
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 2024 from May 19–21 in New York, NY. This year RISD’s Furniture Design department will present Material Opulence at WantedDesign Manhattan (booth W875).
Material Opulence – WantedDesign Manhattan Booth W875 (May 19-21)
Ideals of luxury are geographically, historically and materially specific and inextricably linked to larger social and economic structures. Material Opulence offers a vibrant and inclusive reimagination of grandeur through a collection of functional chairs and domestic objects.
Incorporating an expansive range of materials—from aluminum, indigo and OSB (Oriented Strand Board) to paper and ceramics—the work in this collection rethinks hierarchical material associations and creates space for a broad understanding of value. In their ability to acknowledge and engage critically with existing histories, the designers whose work is included in this collection envision a present and a future that prioritize generativity, equity and sustainability over extraction, suppression and competition.
Employing craft as an act of generosity rather than a labor commodity, understanding materiality as a means of synergizing with our earthly habitat and embracing utility as a layered invitation to engage critically with our surroundings and collective context, Material Opulence is unapologetic in its proposal for new ways of seeing, making and living.
The work includes Pulp Table Lamp by Samuel Aguirre MFA 24 FD, I Thought You Would Like It by Jonathan Dinetz 24 FD, Step-Stool XL by Yining Ge 24 FD, Lounge Chair by Cooper Goldman MFA 24 FD, Taxidermy Tree by Cameron Lasson 24 FD, 60 E Transit by Anuj Malla MFA 24 FD, Baked Stool by Jumana Motiwala MFA 25 FD, Plastic Chair by August Ostrow 25 FD, A Hint of Cherry by Palm Paramee Panchaphalasom 25 FD, Crumple Chair by Oscar Walsh 25 FD, Indigo as Language – Bench by Ziyan Wang 24 FD and Stick Stool 60 by Kira Wilson 24 FD.
Other RISD Participation at ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan 2024
RISD President Crystal Williams will also take part in Perspectives and Principles: A Liberative Mindset in Design on May 19 at 1:30 pm at The Oasis. Her conversation with Kamille Glenn (founder of dsgnrswrkshp) and Jean-Marc Bullet (industrial designer and founder of Bullet & Associés) will explore paths for greater inclusion and representation in design, including how to forage community, get involved in activism and create a truly sustainable design practice. Register here to attend. All talks are open to ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan event registrants.
In addition, RISD Furniture Design faculty member Amy Devers MFA 01 FD, executive producer and host of Clever Podcast, will lead the jury for Launch Pad at WantedDesign and present the Emerging Designers Showcase on the ICFF Talks Stage on May 19 at 4 pm.
RISD students Sam Aguirre MFA 24 FD (Samindaman), Pablo Ejarque-González MFA 24 FD, Yining Ge 24 CR/FD, Yuxuan Huang MFA 24 FD (Yuxuan Huang Studio), Yichu Wang 23 ID/MFA 25 FD, Kewei Zhao MFA 24 FD (ZKW Studio) will also be showing work at WantedDesign Manhattan’s Launch Pad, a platform for emerging designers.
For a directory of all known RISD community participants at NYCxDESIGN, visit alumni.risd.edu.
Daniel Quintanilla
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