karl lagerfeld: marble 'architectures' at carpenters workshop gallery

from october 19 – december 22, 2018, carpenters workshop gallery introduces the first ever exhibition of sculptural works by karl lagerfeld. ‘architectures’ comprises monochromatic, functional sculptures that draw from antiquity, referred to by lagerfeld as ‘the origin of beauty, culture and modernity’. presented at the gallery’s parisian location, the exhibition evokes a contemporary architectural landscape with greek origins, with pieces blending the precision of canonical proportions, with the most noble material — marble.

all images courtesy of carpenters workshop gallery

carpenters workshop gallery exhibits gueridons, tables, lamps, consoles, fountains and mirrors, with each piece of ‘architectures’ carved from two types of carefully selected marble blocks. arabescato fantastico is a rare white stone with dark grey veins; black nero marquina features brush stroke-like, white veins. the marble is precisely cut, sculpted, faceted and polished in italy. the resulting, black-and-white forms exemplify karl lagerfeld’s monochromatic style.

‘architectures’ by karl lagerfeld comprises monochromatic, functional sculptures that draw from antiquity

the meticulous work with marble — studied and developed in collaboration with architect aline asmar d’amman — sees lighting works diffuse a specific daylight. the shades of the table lamps are distinctively hand-painted using the most traditional, decorative arts techniques. ever-shifting between the antique and the contemporary, the collection pushes the boundaries of craftsmanship and history. the collection is a limited edition of eight pieces in each marble color, plus four artist proofs.

pieces blend the precision of canonical proportions with marble