My new ‘discovery,’ the chic Twenty First Gallery, founded by Renaud Vuaillat, is situated in a charming Chelsea townhouse that seems at first as a private residence. In this elegant authentic interior, the gallery presents a solo exhibition of French designer Emmanuel Babled, whose work is being exhibited in the U.S. for the first time. Babled is interested in a variety of traditional materials, from Murano glass, to Carrara marble, to lava stone, but tends to marry the traditional artisan traditions associated with these classic materials with technologically sophisticated production processes. As an industrial designer, Babled has worked with such companies as Venini, Baccarat, Covo, and Rosenthal. However, his pieces on view at Twenty First Gallery, whether furniture or lighting, are produced in limited editions – often seven or less. His Etnastone collection, for example, named after the Sicilian volcano, is inspired by 1960s pop art and reminds me of the patters introduced by fashion designer Emilio Pucci in the 60s (below); the Osmosi series, also rooted in 60s vocabulary, is created of marble and hand-blown colored Murano glass to form architectural compositions, where the seams between the two materials are crisp and organic. My visit to Twenty First Gallery has been an inspiring, design experience.
Twenty First Gallery
458 West 22nd Street
212.206.1967
Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10am-6pm
21stgallery.com.
Twenty First Gallery
458 West 22nd Street
212.206.1967
Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 10am-6pm
21stgallery.com.
