Dezeen Magazine

Urban Fabric exhibition at Gallery Collectional in Dubai

Gallery Collectional exhibition spotlights contemporary Asian craftsmanship

Gallery Collectional, a collectible design gallery in Dubai, has presented its inaugural exhibition featuring furniture and lighting crafted by seven Asian designers.

For Urban Fabric Series 001, Gallery Collectional invited seven designers to create designs informed by the urban settings from which they hail, including Tokyo, Seoul and Hangzhou.

Collection of collectible furniture in Dubai
The Urban Fabric exhibition included recycled plastic seats by Kuo Duo. Photo by Mario Tsai Studio

Curated by Yoko Choy, the collectible design exhibition features 28 pieces that showcase the diverse range of crafts honed by the designers.

It includes 3D-printed chairs, woven sculptures, metal light sculptures and furniture made from reclaimed architectural elements.

Glass and wood table in a collectible exhibition in Dubai
Teo Yang repurposed remnants of traditional Korean houses. Photo by Mario Tsai Studio

"Since the inception of Gallery Collectional, its desire has always been to create a multicultural, cross-functional platform that fosters disruptive and worldly conversations across design and art," the gallery said.

"The 28 artworks commissioned and created for this inaugural series epitomise the juxtaposition between industrial precision and artisanal finesse, the nuanced interplay between vulnerability and resilience, and the seamless fusion of rationality and emotion," Gallery Collectional continued.

"They delve into the dynamic interplay of light and shadow, the relentless passage of time, and the subtle balance between ruggedness and sophistication, encapsulating the essence of contemporary urban life and inspiring our collective vision for the future."

3D-printed chair at Gallery Collectional
Cutting Lines is a collection of 3D-printed chairs

Korean designer Teo Yang used remnants of traditional Korean houses known as hanoks – including glass, rubble, marble and veneer – to create a series of furniture pieces.

The collection, named Remaining Things, includes a room divider made from hanok panels and a table made from a repurposed column with a metal base and glass tabletop.

Koren design studio Kuo Duo, founded by Hwachan Lee and Yoomin Maeng, is showcasing a pair of chairs with a matching ottoman made from recycled plastic.

The Kerf Plastic seats were designed to showcase the "untapped potential" of the material to form three-dimensional objects, according to the duo.

Moving light sculpture at Gallery Collectional in Dubai
The Sparks pendant light moves from side to side

The exhibition also featured the 3D-printed Cutting Lines chair by Korean designer Kwangho Lee, with textured surfaces inspired by the act of tying knots.

Sparks is a pendant light created by Chinese designer Mario Tsai, comprising brass chimes that sway and collide.

Urban Fabric furniture exhibition at Gallery Collectional in Dubai
A woven sculpture by Tiffany Loy hangs from the ceiling

"Within this kinetic light installation, the transformative power of collision becomes palpable," said Gallery Collectional. "It is as if the energy from each collision is harnessed and channelled, manifesting as both visible light and audible sound."

Also in the Urban Fabric series were tables made from white, green and pink onyx by Japanese designer Kensaku Oshiro, neon light artworks by Tokyo-based Studio Swine and a pair of woven silk and cotton sculptures by Singaporean artist Tiffany Loy.

Urban Fabric exhibition at Gallery Collectional in Dubai
Gallery Collectional is located in Dubai. Photo by Mario Tsai Studio

Other furniture showcases that have recently been featured on Dezeen include a furniture exhibition in a converted Bogotá townhouse and StudioTwentySeven's newly opened flagship gallery in Tribeca.

The photography is courtesy of Gallery Collectional.

Urban Fabric is on show at Gallery Collectional in Dubai from 2 to 31 March 2024. For more events, talks and exhibitions in architecture and design visit Dezeen Events Guide.