Contemporary Design Market x Adorno: Colourful Personalities
For this year’s show in Brussels, Adorno is pleased to announce its digital partnership with the Contemporary Design Market, taking place 25 – 26 September 2021. Organised as an initiative of Flanders DC, Wallonie Design, and Design September, the Contemporary Design Market offers a platform for both established and upcoming Belgium-based designers working across design disciplines and with a variety of mediums. Through a combined digital and in-person experience, this partnership strengthens the reach of the Contemporary Design Market, allowing designers to share their practices with both local and international audiences.
For the Market’s third edition, Adorno is pleased to present “Colourful Personalities”, a collection of standout pieces from Contemporary Design Market 2021, curated by art historian and journalist Elien Haentjens. The collection illustrates the craftsmanship, visual vibrancy, and optimism permeating the contemporary Belgian design scene through the work of eleven talented designers. Citing Le Corbusier’s notion that “colour is an element as necessary as water and fire”, the collection illustrates the way that contemporary designers challenge the minimalistic design trends of years past. In parallel, their chosen media – from textile, to ceramic, to reclaimed materials – and focus on small-scale production remain faithful to the roots of Belgian design.
“Colourful Personalities” features pieces from Atelier Leda, Avandi, Emma Terweduwe, Gilles May Navangi, Isabelle Van Oost, Koen Van Guijze, Peter Donders, Pierre De Valck, Pieter Bostoen, Studio Biskt, and Studio NAS.
The “Colourful Personalities” collection will be available to view in person at the Contemporary Design Market, located at Rue Picard, 11 – 1000, Brussels from Saturday, 25 September to Sunday, 26 September.
Atelier Leda, “VELD XL Plaid 003”
The “VELD” series is a result of research into different knitting structures within a large surface. The term “VELD” in Dutch stands for a large, flat, open area which explains the XL size of this plaid. The structures within the plaid are based on large scaled fields, viewed from the air. The series consists of five different color combinations, created in the typical color palette of Leda, “VELD XL 003” is one of them.
View Atelier Leda’s showroom, including “VELD XL Plaid 003”
Avandi, “Hekate”, Reflected Matter Series
Reflecting the roughness of broken stone, Hekate was named after the Greek goddess associated with the night, the Moon, dreams, boundaries and crossroads.
The [Reflected Matter] series showcases AVANDI’s commitment to reclaiming neglected materials from the architecture industry to create new pieces. The unique pieces in the series were made using raw and neglected production materials. Reclaimed wood, marble, granite, and leather were elevated and juxtaposed. The rawness of these natural materials is highlighted rather than hidden using brass and mirrors, cut and shaped from scraps.
View Avandi’s showroom, including “Hekate”, Reflected Matter Series
Emma Terweduwe, “Gradient Blanket” – Electric Blue
For her new limited series of blankets, Emma threads new life into artisanal crafts of the past, combining her sensibility for strikingly contemporary graphic designs with the traditional process of jacquard weaving. In collaboration with B&T Textilia – a high-end local weaving company – Emma presents two new plaid blankets woven in wool, mohair and cotton, each uniquely finished by hand.
View Emma Terweduwe’s showroom, including “Gradient Blanket” – Electric Blue
Gilles Mayk Navangi, “Eloko Moko”
For the Contemporary Design Market, painter and illustrator Gilles Mayk Navangi has created a collection of papier-mâché objects, inspired by African culture and the traditional know-how of the continent.
His research has resulted in 3 stools/objects, made out of papier-mâché and illustrated through his graphic universe. The choice of papier-mâché lies in the very raw touch it presents, while being a modern production technique. The manual approach and the relationship between simplicity of execution and complexity of forms are aspects that refer to African philosophy.
View Gilles Mayk Navangi’s showroom, including “Eloko Moko”
Isabelle Van Oost, “To the Moon”
Until recently, the heat given off by incandescent bulbs greatly limited the use of thermoplastics in the design of lamps. With the arrival of LED technology, we can now freely incorporate the great range of semi-transparent objects made of coloured plastic that are so common and lost at flea markets.
In general, these plastic objects were designed for functional, domestic use: kitchen utensils, fragments of tools, children’s toys… In the combinations of forms, materials, and colours, Isabelle Van Oost discovers a quantity of possibilities to diffuse the light.
View Isabelle Van Oost’s showroom, including “To the Moon”
Koen Van Guijze, “Marble Book A4”
Sophisticated and minimal, let the natural stone tell a good story. Like art, light objects can give warmth and inspiration. With the “Marble Book” series, designer Koen Van Guijze has created several light objects that give comfort for the soul.
View Koen Van Guijze’s showroom, including “Marble Book A4”
Peter Donders, “Parametric Sand”
The work of Peter Donders is possibly the best example of how traditional craftsmanship and 3D design work together. In “Parametric Sand”, his approach is still a manual labour of love, using a process based on algorithmic thinking to 3D print sand into a tactile and dynamically-shaped vessel.
View Peter Donders’ showroom, including “Parametric Sand”
Pierre De Valck, “Side Cabinet with Stone (Thulite)”
Small sized cabinet with two hinged doors and four shelves. Mid-cabinet sits a fragment of Thulite, estimated some 280 million years old and found deep in the Trolltunga mountain range.
View Pierre De Valck’s showroom, including “Side Cabinet with Stone (Thulite)”
Pieter Bostoen, “Proton – Limited Edition / Mask white glaze large.”
The origins of a mask can be traced back thousands of years. Often surrounded by rituals or social gatherings. What do I show to the world, or better to the people around me? Do I show my most inner self or do I hide behind a ‘mask’?
View Pieter Bostoen’s showroom, including “Proton – Limited Edition / Mask white glaze large.”
Studio NAS, “TL Fruitbowl”
The “TL” collection is about 3 spatial tiles where you can create several objects with. The objects can go from functional to sculptural. The idea is to get creative during a conversation while you are adding, turning, and twisting tiles. Endless ways of creating beautiful objects. The “TL Fruitbowl” is made of 12 TL tiles.
View Studio NAS’ showroom, including “TL Fruitbowl”
“Colourful Personalities” is kindly supported by:
