Anthony Dicken’s Halcyon Decode||The Canteen Utility Chair by Andre Klauser and Ed Carpenter|Gitta Gschwendtner`s public square design for Osiers Gate in Wandsworth||
While there’s a great deal of focus in the industry and press on graduate talent and big design names, mid-career creatives tend to get overlooked. A new exhibition Generation Design is looking to redress this, showcasing the work of designers on the cusp of becoming household names.
Curated by design journalist Helen Parton in conjunction with Kingston University, and hosted at BDG architecture+design’s new offices in Sea Containers House, the show features work by designers Anthony Dickens, Ed Carpenter and Andre Klauser, Gitta Geschwendtner, Hannah Martin, William Warren and BDG’s creative director Colin Macgadie.
“I wanted to shine a spotlight on a group of creatives I’ve known for a long time and whose work I’ve always admired,” said Parton. “The participants have an amazing body of work between them and each of them has pursued their career in a different way, which makes for a fascinating story to tell.”
Ed Carpenter and Andre Klauser met while studying at the RCA, and subsequently set up furniture brand Very Good + Proper. Known for their pared back aesthetic which combines wood with a single colour, their recent commissions include furniture for the Merchants Tavern in Shoreditch.
Anthony Dickens, founder of Studio Make Believe, is exhibiting a range of Halcyon lights, produced from hand-blown borosilicate glass.
“[Studio Make Believe means] I’m able to be that bit more disruptive than I would with traditional product design,” says Dickens. “Often, the motive for contemporary lighting design is to create a visually unique statement to be the focal point of a room. But loudly demanding to be the centre of attention often comes at the expense of other items in the home unless they too are equally noisy.
“With this in mind I set about to design a lighting range that was tranquil and familiar, used a material that would last for centuries and was aesthetically able to complement a wide range of interior styles.”
The show includes past work such as Gitta Gschwendtner’s Plant Cup for Thorsten van Elten and Dickens’ Origami side table for Innermost; through to newer pieces such as William Warren’s Deconstructed Windsor floor light for Heal’s and Hannah Martin’s SHOW collection of jewellery.
The show runs until 19 September at Sea Containers House, SE1 9PD.
