GROUP EXHIBITION

Second Nature will bring together contemporary artists and designers whose practices explore the ways in which the natural world coexists with the technological. Lee Bul, Liu Wei, and Mandy El-Sayegh explore these themes on scales ranging from the intimate (the human body) to the immense (the cityscape). While Bul’s ‘Perdu’ series explores the binary of the artificial and the organic, El-Sayegh examines the fragmented nature of human identification through the use of medical illustrations, imprints of her body, and cultural and personal ephemera. Teresita Fernández explores the complex relationship between the Americas and the Caribbean archipelago through meticulously elaborated charcoal and wood reliefs that offer the viewer a point of stability in their own reflection among the fragmented slivers of untouched mirror. Simultaneously, Nacho Carbonell, DRIFT and Vincenzo de Cotiis interrogate this contrast through varied media, from ipe wood, Murano glass and sheep’s wool to concrete, steel and LED light. Through their light sculptures, DRIFT explores the relationship between humans, the environment and technology. The labour-intensive, meticulous process of making works acts as a clear statement against mass production and throwaway culture. De Cotiis takes inspiration from Japanese gardens, bonsai and cherry trees, and uses hand-blown Murano glass to mimic the effects of water. He presents these organic inspirations using materials like fibreglass and aluminium, highlighting the contrast between the natural and the industrial.

About Lehmann Maupin

Rachel Lehmann and David Maupin founded Lehmann Maupin in 1996. The gallery represents a diverse range of contemporary artists and estates from around the world. Since inception, Lehmann Maupin has been instrumental in introducing international artists in new geographies. This mission has resulted in historic first exhibitions in New York, Hong Kong, and Seoul. The gallery opened its newest location in London in October 2020.

About Carpenters Workshop Gallery

From Functional Art to Collectible Design, today Carpenters Workshop Gallery produces and exhibits functional sculptures by international rising and established artists or designers going outside their traditional territories of expression. Actively involved in the research and production of limited edition works, the gallery’s choices are guided by seeking an emotional, artistic and historical relevance and breaking boundaries between art and design.

The gallery relies on the partnership of childhood friends, Julien Lombrail and Loïc Le Gaillard. They first opened a space in London’s Chelsea in 2006 in a former carpenter’s workshop; they now operate four galleries globally in London, Paris, New York, and more recently in San Francisco. In 2015, the gallery opened The Workshop in Roissy, a unique 8,000 square meters space dedicated to artistic research bringing together the elite of artisans. Today, Carpenters Workshop Gallery is recognised as a leading gallery for contemporary collectible design.