Vitra to host bold new talent
Vitra plays host to this year’s
MA Furniture Design & Technology Exhibition 2010 from
Buckinghamshire New University, held today and tomorrow, 27 and 28
January, at Vitra’s prestigious London showroom at 30 Clerkenwell
Road.
This exciting show displays a diverse range of furniture and
products from an inspirational group of new designers. Working
alongside companies such as John Lewis, Abbey Distribution,
Gloster, V&A Museum of Childhood, and Ercol, collaborating with
designers such as Martino Gamper, and exhibiting at the V&A,
this group has gone on to win competitions and work
placements across the board.
Their research breaks the boundaries of traditional design,
tackling topics such as ‘no cost furniture’ and ‘pataphysics’,
resulting in unexpected pieces which perfectly capture their
passion for design. Combining with this their skills from a variety
of different backgrounds the show takes a fresh look at
contemporary furniture. Expect this cohort to take the design world
by storm!
The exhibition is open to the public
today and tomorrow, 27 and 28 January, from 9am -
4pm, following a private view on 26 January.
Dr Lynn Jones, Course Leader, MA
Furniture Design & Technology at Bucks New University,
commented: “This year’s show proves how very creative and
employable our graduates are. Several of them have interviews lined
up already and we are optimistic about the impact these young
graduates are going to make this year on the industry. I am very
proud of their achievements once again!”
Tony Ash, MD of Vitra UK, is impressed by the
quality of this year's postgraduate collection: "It is great to see
the vision and professionalism of these young creatives, and I, for
one, look forward to seeing their influence on the furniture market
in the not too distant future."
Amongst the remarkable creations is the work of Nessa Doran
O’Reilly, a furniture designer and maker prior to commencing her
full-time MA at Bucks. Nessa’s project, ‘Happy Furniture’, features
a coffee table and coat stand designed to optimise the unique
light-emitting characteristics of live edge acrylic, an upholstered
swinging seat that hugs the user, and a pine coat stand that
welcomes you home with open arms. Nessa’s motivation was to design
uplifting domestic furniture, and she believes her objects
encapsulate a happy energy, which has a positive and joyous effect
on those who use them.
Also on display is the work of Jackie Hunt, a student with broad
professional experience in museums, heritage, the furniture
industry, horticulture and archaeology. Her work is based on
furniture for how people live outdoors, and explores garden theory
and real people’s experiences and perceptions of their own gardens.
Her creation includes two large, structural pieces, designed to act
as focal points in the garden and aid escape and contemplation. The
first piece, a 'Sitooterie', is made of green ash and offers a
quiet place to sit for solitude and seclusion. The second, entitled
'Far From The Madding Crowd’, takes its inspiration from the
landscape and restorative nature of the Dorset countryside, and is
a metal canopy with limestone seat below, made with dry stone
walling techniques for relaxation and contemplation.
Luigi Santoro graduated as an industrial designer in Naples in 2005
and has worked in various roles spanning the creative industries,
including graphic designer, prototype maker, product designer and
researcher. His work explores the design possibilities of
‘absurdism’ as part of a creative process, with references to
pataphysics, the study of exceptions through parody and
haphazardness. His creations include ‘Vanda’, a multi-functional
colourful stool that can be used for both seating and as a storage
unit for pencils or other design tools, with a removable cushion
creating two height options.
For further information about the Exhibition, please contact Joanna
Moore, Vitra UK Ltd, on 0207 608 6225 or joanna.moore@vitra.com
Exhibition: 27–28 January 9am-4pm
Vitra London Showroom
30 Clerkenwell Rd
EC1M 5PQ
(between Barbican and Farringdon tube stations)