Curatorial Exhibition “On Matter and Meaning”
in Celebration of Dubai Design Week
Coinciding with Dubai Design Week, the exhibition is an annual contribution by the brand, with the intention of enriching the design landscape of the UAE and beyond. Known for their unique design ethos, the award-winning Comptoir 102 concept store has consistently brought to the proverbial table, original and authentically-designed products. From unique furniture and home accessories, fashion and jewelry, to clean beauty and a highly-acclaimed organic cafe.
“On Matter and Meaning” features ceramic objects and fiber art by three internationally acclaimed talents. Although the approaches and mediums differ, the designers are all guided by one principle; and that is a personal dialogue with nature, a concept championed by Comptoir 102 from the very beginning. Each of the designers’ intention is to magnify the natural potential and beauty of the materials they work with.
By curating an exhibition of these unusual creations; guided by a dialogue between creativity and nature, Comptoir 102 questions the boundaries of design, and introduces the concept of narrative-based design, where the connection formed between the designer and the object, and then the viewer, creates a very personal dialogue that adds unique value to the products.
Fiber artist Adrian Pepe has always been fascinated by textiles and textures and the intimate relationship of the body and senses that are involved in the fabric-making process. In his words, “an intense association transpires between the craftsperson and the crafted object. Through the process of spinning, hand guided embroidery, and felting, the wool is transformed into material artifacts laden with perspiration, emotions, mythologies and symbolism.”
Ceramicists Marylynn and Rasha sculpt their shapes with a laisser-faire approach of making, allowing the medium and their instinct to dictate the final form. These totemic structures are rigorous studies of form and texture. Individual structures are grouped into tribes, stacked on top of each other, standing parallel to the human body. A feat of physical exertion and inborn impulse, their creations are bold and mystical, referencing natural objects resulting in zoomorphic artifacts.
Japanese Ricca Okano has continuously challenged the status quo of what ceramic art should be, by allowing the material to guide the process. Taking it a step further still, her latest collection is born from the projection of her daily feelings on the weather and the state of nature around her. In her own words, “Water, fog, clouds, sky. I project and release my emotions of the moment based on the weather that changes around me.”
For those seeking new and interesting forms of design, the exhibition showcases unique and limited edition pieces, self-produced by the designers. Comptoir 102’s curatorial choices are made with the precise intent of making collectible design accessible, and demonstrating that uniqueness and accessibility are not mutually exclusive. The exhibition, staged at their store in Jumeirah, will run till the end of November 2022.
