There is perhaps no greater luxury than getting to live with a piece of art. Letting it reveal itself slowly, engaging with it at one’s own pace, and evolving with us along the way. The nexus of art and design is a powerful manifestation of this, and the very space in which Carpenters Workshop Gallery has made a name for itself. 

This past week marked the opening of Denim House, Variations, and Family Business, three concurrent solo exhibitions from Harry Nuriev, Martin Laforêt, and Léa Mestres at the gallery’s Los Angeles outpost. United by the exploration of materiality in their practice, the artists form part of a new generation in the field of collectible design, creating immersive sculptural environments, united under a single roof. 

Based between his New York and Paris ateliers, Harry Nuriev’s Denim House explores the intersection of form, function, and personal expression through a series of modular furniture. Nuriev finds inspiration in streetwear, incorporating embroidery, patches, and distressed elements to his work, opening a conversation about the role of customization and accessorization in design. Linking fashion, architecture, and design through his approach, Nuriev’s work becomes an extension of our voice and a vehicle for self-expression. 

In Martin Laforêt’s Variations, the artist considers the legacy of humble materials including concrete and lumber, using them to create something elevated and imbued with his personal philosophy. The exhibition highlights work from the artist’s Mould/Cast series, which subverts typical notions of concrete as giving form, to being formed. The concrete is cast with wooden molds, creating an imprint of both materials on the final piece. Also on display is work from the Variations series, which starts with a single concrete element and transforms with site specific castings in each chair. 

With Family Business, French artist Léa Mestres’ creates a fantastical portal into her imagination and creative process through a series of large scale sculptural lights. Countering a design world that Mestres cites as overly serious, the artist leans into the joy that the unexpected and unconstrained can bring. Drawing inspiration from a wide range of popular culture and vivid imagery, Mestres uses crépi, a plaster typically used in French building facades to create Stacy, Suzy, and Jessy, the three anthropomorphic pink cactus works on display.

Denim House, Variations, and Family Business are on view now at Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery through December 22nd.