David Adjaye’s Bronze Furniture Shines at Carpenters Workshop Gallery in London

FDT Bureau

Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye’s cast-bronze furniture is currently on display at a newly established Carpenters Workshop Gallery in west London. Adjaye, the founder of Adjaye Associates, has designed eight limited-edition pieces that combine polished and textured bronze surfaces. This collection, named Yaawa, marks the debut exhibition at the gallery’s expansive new venue in Ladbroke Grove. Here is a detailed report on FURNITURE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY (FDT).

The gallery founders, Julien Lombrail and Loic le Gaillard, chose this project to commemorate the opening of their largest space to date, Ladbroke Hall, a 120-year-old beaux-arts building. Yaawa encompasses tables, consoles, and a dining chair, featuring a variety of round, rectangular and triangular surfaces. Adjaye’s designs build upon concepts explored in his previous Monoforms furniture from 2007, aiming to experiment with the possibilities of a singular form.

Each of the eight pieces combines two distinct material treatments, employing techniques such as hand-casting, oxidizing, patinating and polishing. The surfaces boast a polished metallic finish, while the undersides bear deep impressions of fingerprints, evoking a handcrafted aesthetic reminiscent of sculpted clay.

The name Yaawa, derived from the Twi language spoken in Ghana, translates to bronze. Adjaye’s furniture is showcased alongside a retrospective exhibition of works by the late Brazilian designer Jose Zanine Caldas at Ladbroke Hall. The gallery, which will open in stages throughout the summer, features four spacious exhibition rooms, two artist-designed salons, a terrace designed by Robert Stadler, and a dedicated jewelry showroom.

Image credit: Carpenters Workshop Gallery