Misha Kahn creates Bellyflop barware and pool accessories for Miami Beach Edition

New York artist and designer Misha Kahn‘s playful signature style has manifested as a collection of items for use around the pool at the Miami Beach Edition hotel.

Everything from pool floats to glass straws features in the Bellyflop Collection, which was unveiled at the hotel during Miami art week.

The barware series includes golden aluminium items like pitchers, ice buckets, cups and a tray, all decorated with coloured glass shapes that resemble toothy mouths. Delicate metal handles are attached to the pitchers and the tray to aid carrying.

Kahn‘s set of four multi-hued glass straws have loops and bends, as well as bumps and appendages that make them appear even more surreal. All of the Bellyflop pieces are made by hand in Turkey.

“The Bellyflop Collection features Misha Kahn’s interpretations on poolside and outdoor entertaining accessories that draw from his unorthodox manipulation of materials such as metals and glass,” said a description from Prospect NY, which collaborated with the artist to create the works.

Kahn is known for using found objects to build his fantastical furniture and sculpture pieces, elevating seemingly worthless materials as collectible design.

His previous works include a set of underwater creatures made using “crap from the sea”, presented at New York’s Friedman Benda gallery in 2017, and a cabinet formed of grass, trash and stained glass similarly found on a beach.

The Bellyflop Collection made its debut during an event on 5 December 2018, which coincided with the Art Basel and Design Miami fairs, plus a host of other cultural programming across the city.

The cocktail reception at the Edition took place among giant inflatable and cushioned sculptures, covered in bright colours and tie-dye patterns – akin to those he created for a Halloween party at Brooklyn creative hub A/D/O earlier this year.

In Miami, the soirée was hosted in conjunction with Prospect NY and Artsy – both of which are selling limited-edition Bellyflop items online.

Other highlights from the art week include a retrospective exhibition of work by LA art duo the Haas Brothers, and a series of soft-toy chairs created by artist Kaws and designers the Campana brothers.

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