works by david adjaye & jose zanine caldas launch new carpenters workshop gallery in london

Carpenters Workshop Gallery Finds New Home in Ladbroke Hall

Carpenters Workshop Gallery announces the opening of its new London home in Ladbroke Hall on April 28, 2023.

Situated inside the east wing of the century-old building, the new gallery space spans two floors and includes four large exhibition rooms, two artist-designed private salons by Ingrid Donat and Vincenzo De Cotiis, a private terrace by Robert Stadler, and a dedicated showroom for Carpenters Workshop Jewellery.

Since its establishment in Chelsea in 2006 and subsequent move to Mayfair in 2008, Carpenters Workshop Gallery has expanded to include galleries in Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. Now, with its new location in London, the gallery is taking another step towards its goal of cultivating a deeper sense of engagement and emotional resonance in its visitors. To celebrate this new chapter, the gallery will present two coinciding inaugural solo exhibitions, showcasing the latest collection by Sir David Adjaye and a museum-quality exhibition dedicated to the late Brazilian architect, sculptor, and designer Jose Zanine Caldas.

all images courtesy of Carpenters Workshop Gallery

two coinciding inaugural solo exhibitions

Thus, inaugurating Carpenters Workshop Gallery’s new London flagship, the gallery will premiere two shows with works by two prominent creators, who have made their mark in the art world. The first show hosts Adjaye‘s eight limited-edition works, including a chair, dining table, and coffee table. The pieces are cast in bronze and feature contrasting textures with a smooth gold finish on the outer surface and textured human markings on the inner surface.

‘As we unveil our new flagship space in London, we are proud to present a new collection by Sir David Adjaye. Yaawa showcases Adjaye’s mastery in manipulating light by experimenting with the surface of the bronze to achieve a unique play with reflection. While David has often incorporated bronze details into his buildings, this is the first time he has exclusively used the metal in his functional sculptures,’ commented Loïc Le Gaillard, co-founder of the design and art gallery.

The second exhibition showcases Caldas’ work, which is centered on the use of wood and its potential. His creations combine raw sensuality, elegance, and ecological awareness. After three years of active research, the gallery brings together a rare selection of his most important works.

Sir David Adjaye ‘s oeuvre

The collection by the Ghanaian-British reflects his recent experimentation with his ongoing Monoform series while also delving into the materiality of bronze. The Yaawa collection pays tribute to bronze’s rich history in African craft and weaponry, with each piece expanding on this tradition through its form and function in space. Adjaye aims to honor this lineage while also offering a fresh perspective on the material.

Adjaye’s design philosophy is rooted in exploration and discovery, evident in his approach to projects of all scales, from civic buildings to functional objects like tables. His latest collection, Yaawa, which means ‘bronze’ in Twi, an indigenous Ghanaian language, is a testament to this philosophy. Through various techniques such as hand casting, oxidizing, patinating, and polishing bronze, the artist illuminates the metal in a fresh and innovative way. As he puts it, ‘my work is always about an idea, a material, and about exploration. It’s about pushing craft forward.’

The pieces are characterized by elliptical and curved edges, which seamlessly transition from smaller occasional tables to larger pieces like dining tables and banquet tables. They also feature a duality in surface finish, with a polished and lustrous upper surface and a textured underside that adds an element of surprise to the pieces.

Upon closer examination, one can see the artist’s thick and gestural fingerprints, adding a personal touch to the collection.

David Adjaye, Monoforms, Yaawa Collection

Jose Zanine Caldas’ masterpieces

Jose Zanine Caldas’ works showcase a range of unique and refined pieces that blend local craftsmanship with modern design. The Namoradeira from the early 1980s demonstrates a transition from raw carved works to smoother creations, with precise carpentry joining two different wood sections. The Denuncia bench and chaise longue are sculptural, functional, and made of reclaimed timber, giving each piece its unique character and blending into the local scenery. Another solid wood dining table in the Denuncia collection features carved legs reminiscent of Caldas’ sculptures, showcasing his capacities as both a designer and artist.

A coffee table that doubles as bench balances craftsmanship and modernity, with a cavity in the tabletop creating an interesting pattern and functional feature, and preserved organic shapes in the carved legs. A ceramic-topped table is made from recycled ceramic tiles, reflecting Zanine’s use of this model in the houses he designed. A pair of armchairs with embedded armrests showcases Zanine’s innate knowledge of woodworking craftsmanship, uniting craft, and modernism. Finally, the rare Namoradeira model demonstrates Caldas’ research into wood and engineering through different shapes, with a unique assembly process including varied wood waste from the forest.