Dezeen Magazine

Seth Rogen and Rihanna's stylist contribute to Sight Unseen's Field Studies exhibition

Musicians, actors and chefs are among the celebrity creatives paired with 13 designers to create collection of furniture currently on show in New York, which will be sold to raise money for charity.

For the Field Studies exhibition, online magazine Sight Unseen partnered one furniture or interior designer with a different "high-profile" name from creative fields outside of design, like food, fashion, art, film and music.

"The idea was to connect creative across disciplinary boundaries so they could search for commonalities in their practices and discover what unexpected ideas might result," said a statement from Sight Unseen.

Including a mirror, rugs, chairs and candle holders, the series is now for sale via online store 1stdibs. Proceeds for each piece will go to a charity picked by the teams of two.

Field Studies forms part of this year's Sight Unseen Offsite – a collection of exhibitions on display at 201 Mulberry Street, 17-20 May 2018. The shows coincide with the annual NYCxDesign, which takes place across the city from 11 to 23 May 2018.

See the results of the collaborations below:


PnKRck Armchair by Kelly Behun and fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez

New York designer Kelly Behun and fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez placed the seat of this armchair off-centre, leaving a gap on one side to make users sit in a "way that feels slightly unfamiliar". Behun and Rodriguez's seat comprises four components in pale linen, dark suede, pink lacquer and oak.


Field Studies by Sight Unseen
Photograph by Dan Arnold

Marzipan Pianette by Wall for Apricots and actor Jason Schwartzman

Los Angeles-based interiors duo Wall for Apricots and actor Jason Schwartzman have created a small console for a Hohner Clavinet Pianet – a keyboard which dates back to the 1970s. Taking cues from this era, the piano's console has a retro pastel pink and yellow design, featuring ribbed detailing that runs parallel on the sides and vertical at the front. The pianette is sold with a pink stool.


Field Studies by Sight Unseen

Atlas Mirror by Bower and actor Seth Rogen

Brooklyn-based design studio Bower has continued its series of graphic mirrors that allude to 3D shapes for its collaboration with Canadian actor and comedian Seth Rogen. Called Atlas, Rogen and Bower's mirror is decorated with curving multi-coloured lines that develop from dark green hues at the base to yellow tones at the top, giving the illusion that it is a three-dimensional sphere.


Field Studies by Sight Unseen
Photograph by Mikhail Loskutov

Liquid Collusion by Harry Nuriev and artist Liam Gillick

Liquid Collusion teams the interests of architect and designer Harry Nuriev, who previously showcased stainless steel furniture at Sight Unseen Offsite, and artist Liam Gillick, known for his glass panel creations. The collection comprises a trio of standing lamps that are topped with glass lights in three different colours: pink, blue and yellow.


Field Studies by Sight Unseen
Photograph by Cary Whittaker

Coal Planter by Fernando Mastrangelo and actor Boyd Holbrook

American actor and fashion model Boyd Holbrook and Brooklyn artist Fernando Mastrangelo have created a wrinkled plant pot from compressed coal. The project is intended as a tribute to Holbrook's Kentucky roots, where his father worked as a coal miner.


Field Studies by Sight Unseen

Kita Cake Stand by Thaddeus Wolfe and chef Ignacio Mattos

Bubbles and blue hues feature in this chunky cake stand made of hand-blown glass. The Kita Cake Stand blends the interests of its creators: glass designer Thaddeus Wold and Uruguayan chef Ignacio Mattos.


Field Studies by Sight Unseen

HW10 Valet by Home Studios and stylist Natasha Royt

The teaming of New York-based Home Studios with fashion stylist Natasha Royt has resulted in this stand for hanging suits, titled HW10 Valet. Clothing hooks onto a large circular brass peg. Its body is wrapped in white leather and set atop a multi-hued marble base.


Field Studies by Sight Unseen

Architecture of Song by The Principals and musician Angel Olsen

The Principals architect Drew Seskunas devised a machine that makes waxworks based on the frequencies of Angel Olsen's music. As the song plays, the machine is triggered to drip hot wax onto a plate, which is then lowered down in phases to drop the wax into a pool of water held in a tub below. After leaving to cool in the water, Seskunas and Olsen then used the wax products as moulds to create a series of aluminium candle holders that are on sale.


Field Studies by Sight Unseen
Photograph by Dan Arnold

Rebelle Ottoman by Kelly Wearstler and blogger Aimee Song

With its hairy red seat, brass legs, and red marble feet, the Rebelle Ottoman stool resembles a creature. Style blogger Aimee Song and interior designer Kelly Wearstler created the seat together. The fluffy red covering is made from goat hair, which was dyed with a red mineral called cinnabar to gain its fiery hue.


Field Studies by Sight Unseen

The Oracle by Christopher Stuart and artist Julia Dault

Designer Christopher Stuart and artist Julia Dault have peeled away the bronze cover of this circular sconce to reveal the light behind. The cover of the light is painted pink to match its square backdrop, highlighting another glimpse of light that peaks through the edge.


Field Studies by Sight Unseen

SAP Tall Vase No 1 SAP Ikebana Vasa No 1 by Ladies and Gentlemen and fashion designer Kaarem

Swatches of fabric by fashion designer Kaarem appear to float around inside the pair of plant pots, made with US atelier Ladies & Gentlemen. To create this effect, the duo set the textiles in resin, which was hand cast in two different shapes. One is a cylindrical vase containing a brown fabric, while the other is rectangular and hosts a green material.


Field Studies by Sight Unseen

Three Quilt Collection by Rafael de Cárdenas and stylist Mel Ottenberg

Mel Ottenberg, who made his name as the stylist to pop-singer Rihanna, collaborated with New York architect Rafael de Cárdenas to create three quilts. Displayed on the wall in Sight Unseen's exhibition, the trio include a grey version patterned with horizontal stitching, a navy design punctuated by fluorescent yellow, and a cream-coloured design featuring segments of green.


Field Studies by Sight Unseen

4 Minutes Less Than An Hour by Tyler Hays and artist Andrew Kuo

The founder of custom furniture store BDDW, Tyler Hays has turned a graphic artwork by Andrew Kuo into a puzzle. The design, which is set in an oak frame, features blocks of colours that make it difficult to read the outline of text and numbers behind.

Photography is by Josh Gaddy, unless stated otherwise.