For its first exhibition of works by Sebastian Brajkovic in New York, Carpenters Workshop Gallery will present ‘LATHE’, a culmination of work from the Dutch artist.

 

Brajkovic’s designs re-interpret 18th century furniture archetypes, transmuted through expressive and surreal forms, while integrating traditional techniques of master craftsmanship with new methods of technology.

 

Through his choice of production processes and materials, Sebastian Brajkovic simultaneously challenges the traditions he employs and responds to historical references with contemporary re-imaginings of form, technique, and aesthetic.

 

‘Lathe’ is comprised of several key pieces that further exemplify the evolution of the designers process, including ‘Fibonacci’ and ‘Slepinir’.

 

‘Fibonacci’, which expresses a theory of morphology and growth drawn up by an Italian mathematician towards the end of the 12th century, has been described as the designer’s masterpiece due to its high craftsmanship, both in the complicated spiral structure and its complex embroidery used, executed by Maison Lesage, known for its work for top French fashion houses such as Chanel and Dior.

 

‘Sleipnir’, a bench composed of five chairs, spreads out like a crowd of people or a herd of animals on the move, an eight-footed creature with an embroidered hide. This animal-like creation sports scales with a geometric pattern rather like that seen in the marquetry of the cabinet maker Oeben (18th century). This pattern flows with the direction of the bench, resembling the harness of a mammal or a reptile.

 

‘Conversation Piece’, a chair that allows easy discussion between those seated together, resonates the traditional, with an element of the fantastical. The work is a reinvention of a confidante for lovers, a smiling chair, full of a dynamic sensuality inspired by Carlo Mollino’s designs, rounds off the collection.