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David Adjaye's Yaawa furniture debuts in new Carpenters Workshop Gallery venue
Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye has unveiled his inaugural furniture collection, named Yaawa, at the newly opened Ladbroke Hall in west London. This collection, a collaboration with Carpenters Workshop Gallery, consists of eight limited-edition cast-bronze designs, including tables, consoles, and a dining chair. The pieces are characterized by a unique interplay of impeccably polished and deeply textured bronze surfaces.
The Yaawa collection is the first exhibition to launch at Ladbroke Hall, a significant new venue for collectable-design specialist Carpenters Workshop Gallery. This 120-year-old Beaux-Arts building, located in Ladbroke Grove, represents the gallery's largest space to date. Gallery founders Julien Lombrail and Loic le Gaillard selected Adjaye's collection to mark the grand opening, citing its innovative approach to material manipulation.
Le Gaillard noted that the Yaawa collection demonstrates Adjaye's skill in using bronze surfaces to create a distinctive play with light and reflection. While Adjaye has frequently incorporated bronze elements into his architectural projects, this collection is notable as his first exclusive use of the metal in functional sculptures. The designs evolve from concepts Adjaye previously explored in his 2007 Monoforms furniture series, focusing on the potential of a singular form.
Adjaye described his work as a continuous exploration of ideas and materials, emphasizing the ambition to advance craft. The eight pieces in the Yaawa collection feature two distinct surface treatments achieved through various techniques such as hand-casting, oxidizing, patinating, and polishing. One treatment results in a polished metallic finish, while the undersides of the pieces are deeply imprinted with fingerprints, giving them a handcrafted appearance reminiscent of sculpted clay.
Adjaye's prior architectural endeavors showcase his extensive use of bronze, including the facade of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and the interior elements of The Webster fashion boutique in Los Angeles. His fascination with bronze stems from its historical significance in Africa, where it has been traditionally used in various crafts and weaponry. Through the Yaawa collection, Adjaye aims to extend this historical lineage by creating forms and techniques that also offer practical utility in a space.
The name 'Yaawa' itself means 'bronze' in Twi, one of Ghana's indigenous languages, further highlighting the collection's connection to Adjaye's heritage and the material's cultural resonance. The exhibition at Ladbroke Hall is one of two inaugural shows, running concurrently with a display of retro works by the late Brazilian designer Jose Zanine Caldas. Ladbroke Hall is set to open in phases throughout the summer, offering four large exhibition rooms, two artist-designed salons, a terrace by Robert Stadler, and a dedicated jewelry showroom.
Carpenters Workshop Gallery has dedicated four years to the renovation and expansion of Ladbroke Hall, which was formerly a photography studio. This new London venue significantly expands the gallery's operational capacity, complementing its existing locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Paris, as well as its Mayfair branch. The gallery founders expressed their deep satisfaction in sharing this extensive project, which aims to foster artistic expression beyond conventional models and enhance emotional engagement with the arts.
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