Ever since my teacher, legendary design historian Pat Kirkham published the book ‘Women Designers Women Designers in the USA, 1900-2000: Diversity and Difference,’ which accompanied an exhibition by the same name at the Brad Graduate Center, the celebrating of women’s contribution to the story of design has come to be recognized. Various issues of gendered design have since occupied scholars, curators, and writers in the eternal quest to define women’s contribution to design culture. In celebrating NYCxDesign Week 2018, Egg Collective presents an exhibition ‘Designing Women II: Masters, Mavericks, Mavens,’ featuring modern and contemporary objects by women designers. Co-curated with Lora Appleton, founder of KinderMODERN and The Female Design Council, the selected pieces by such designers as Greta Magnusson Grossman, Mira Nakashima, Katie Stout, Egg Collective, Mary Giles, and Sabine Marcelis represent a vast array of periods, styles, and idioms, spanning from the mid-century to this day. What I missed in this show, is not great design as it is largely presented, but the discussion. The voice of the curatorial team should be loudly presented. What is the mission statement of the exhibition? What have we learnt? If it comes to define gendered design, then it should be expressed in words; or, if this a collection of objects that are only tied by the fact that they have been created by women, the viewer would like to hear that conclusion too. This exhibition is yet highly recommended as well as a visit to the beautiful space of Egg Collective.
