Vintage20 is very pleased to present Korea's first exhibition of work by the critically lauded Dutch designer Joris Laarman. Widely known for his exquisite furniture designs such as the iconic Bone Chair, Laarman's work integrates elegant lines and compelling inspiration with powerful and provocative forms. While each of his designs bears the hallmarks of advanced technology, they are at the same time exquisitely crafted hand finished objects that reflect the attention to detail of fine art and sculpture.
Laarman's works demonstrate a design philosophy that is firmly rooted in constant experimentation and embraces both innovation and tradition.
Joris Laarman began to receive critical acclaim very early in his career. Only five years after graduating cum laude from the Dutch Eindhoven Academy (2003) Laarman exhibited his Bone Chair and Bone Chaise at the Museum of Modern Art's (MoMA) exhibition "Design and the Elastic Mind" (2008). What makes Laarman such a groundbreaking designer is his broad interests and willingness to push both the conceptual and formal boundaries of design. He does this by merging cutting edge research and technology in 3-D modeling with the life sciences, creating a hybrid approach that has been remarkably successful. His Bone Chair, for example, was designed using new computer algorithms that allowed him to model the proportions of naturally occurring growth such as in bones and trees. The current exhibition at Kukje Gallery is comprised of 23 works including the Bone Chair, Bone Chaise, Arm Chair, Branch Bookshelf, Bridge Table, in addition to his stunning new Leaf Table and Forest Table series.
Joris Laarman was born in the Netherlands in 1979. While still a student at the Design Academy Eindhoven he created the "heatwave radiator," a design that was instantly celebrated for its inventiveness and incorporated into museum collections such as the Cooper-Hewitt and Fonds national d'art contemporain, Puteaux, France. In 2004, he received Wallpaper's "Young Designer of the Year" award, and in the same year established his studio and laboratory. He has since received the Red Dot Design Award (2006), the Woon Award (2007), the Elle Deco International Design Award (2008), and the "Innovator of the Year" award by the Wall Street Journal (2011).
Jaarman's work has been exhibited internationally and can be found in major public collections worldwide including the Centre Pompidou, Paris; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; the Groninger Museum, Netherlands; the Art Institute of Chicago; the High Museum, Atlanta; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg; Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany. The artist currently lives and works in the Netherlands.