London’s Gallery FUMI Sets up Shop in New York this Spring

For close to two decades Gallery FUMI has stood out in the collectible design sector by focusing wholeheartedly on a material-forward approach; representing a small group of increasingly recognized contemporary designers that push the envelope in experimental, reinterpreted craft processes, and sculptural composition. Like the patrons of Renaissance Italy, gallery founders Sam Pratt and Valerio Capo have been instrumental in fostering the ever-developing practices of such seismic talents as Max Lamb, Charlotte Kingsnorth, Casey McCafferty, Leora Honeyman, and Jochen Holz.

Ahead of its participation in the Hamptons edition of itinerant fair NOMAD CIRCLE—held at Robert Wilson’s The Watermill Center from June 25-28—Gallery FUMI has taken over Lee Mindel’s Galerie56 for three months. Housed on the ground floor of the Herzog & de Meuron–designed 56 Leonard, the jewel-box space is now awash in cast bronze settees, textured stone chandeliers, crystal-infused vessels, marquetry inlaid consoles, and electroplated oyster shell mirror frames. Much of the reflective metals, complex grain pattern woods, and glazed ceramics play well off of the bulbous Anish Kapoor sculpture squished beneath the building’s unfolding canopy just outside.

“New York is a city very close to our hearts,” says Capo. “It’s a place we know intimately—one that holds many friends, collectors, and longtime supporters. Our initial exhibition is a good representation of what we do, bringing together works across a wide range of materials, techniques, and treatments, from traditionally crafted pieces to those more experimental and unexpected.”

Aptly titled “Materials of Joy,” the group exhibition—open now and running till mid May—features pieces from Lamb–designed Box, Scrap, and Split Woodware collections; Emma Witter’s Ocean Mirrors; and Francesco Perini’s Cabinet. According to Pratt, Lukas Wegwerth’s Crystallization works were produced by dipping upcycled broken pottery in salt and allowing the material to solidify between them. JAMESPLUMP’s Copper Roots luminaires were created using piping salvaged from their North England farmhouse. For his latest M. and Metamorphic series, Jesse Schlesinger covered found fragments of solid wood in ombre-pattern car paint.

Most of the works on view challenge the perception of what certain materials are “supposed” or “expected” to do. Study O Portable’s Stools visually replicate the heavy stone components of ancient columns but are in fact made out of the type of silicone rubber used in pencil erasers; far lighter and bouncier. Other exhibitors include Holz, Rowan Mersh, Sam Orlando Miller, Voukenas Petrides, Tuomas Markunpoika, and local ceramicist Jeremy Anderson, who is also set to have a solo show with brand new furnishings during the second half of Gallery FUMI’s residency in the space.

“We work with quite a few duos because we’re one too,” Capo added. Maintaining a clear thread across these vastly different explorations of material, craft-led process, and formal expression; Capo and Pratt pride themselves on being deeply involved in the development of new concepts—consistently visiting their studios and the small workshops (foundries and other) the talent’s often employ. In turn, they’ve influenced the evolution of their distinct approaches. “If we represented more designers, it would limit our ability to do things properly,” Pratt explains.

Gallery FUMI’s collaboration with Mindel and Galerie56 is the third pop-up it’s mounted in the U.S. “We want to slightly move away from just doing fairs and do these types of showcases,” Pratt concludes. “It’s a chance to slow down and spend more time to ‘live’ with the work. Have less hurried conversations.”