max lamb sculpts leather into silver 'clouds' at design miami/ paris

‘soft poly (silver lining)’ debuts at design miami/ paris

Max Lamb‘s latest exhibition with Salon 94 Design debuted as part of Design Miami/ Paris. Visitors were invited to explore a realm of material experimentation with his Soft Poly (Silver Lining) collection. In an eccentric display, the designer delves into the field of sculpture and upholstery, making use of silver leather to craft seating pieces that evoke the imagery of ‘silver-lined’ clouds. This article unveils the intricate process behind Lamb’s Soft Poly series and explores his innovative venture into reflective chairs.

Max Lamb, Soft Poly (Silver Lining), exhibition view | images © Sean Davidson

leather sculpted into an evolving cloudscape

Max Lamb‘s Soft Poly (Silver Lining) collection with Salon 94 Design is a poetic homage to the timeless imagery of ceiling frescoes, where wisps of clouds playfully adorn the heavens. Within this exhibition during Design Miami/ Paris, visitors encounter soft leather furniture that transforms into a celestial living room, ‘seating for the gods and goddesses, and putti who circle above.’ Much like the ever-changing nature of clouds, Lamb’s soft leather creations morph into diverse shapes, sizes, and configurations, not just for art’s sake but also for practical functionality.

Max Lamb, Soft Poly (Silver Lining) Sofa, 2023

max lamb’s experimental process

While Max Lamb’s soft forms can be found worldwide, serving various purposes such as consoles, desks, planters, and retail seating, the Soft Poly series is specially-tailored for lounging. The craftsmanship takes place in Lamb’s London studio and involves a multi-step process, all starting with a sculpted wooden frame, which serves as the foundation for the seating. A network of linen webbing provides support, while recycled foam crumb serves as the initial layer, ultimately wrapped in hand-sewn leather upholstery.

Lamb’s approach to creating Soft Poly objects takes an unconventional route compared to traditional upholstery. Rather than pre-determining the shape, he allows the material itself to guide the final outcome. The flexible polyurethane foam is poured between the leather and the structure, filling the negative space within the oversized exterior shell. The once-liquid foam sets in place, capturing every ridge and fold, resulting in a texture that is entirely dictated by the material’s path. When the work is turned upright, the underside becomes the seating surface, unveiling the exquisite folds etched by the journey of the liquid foam.

Max Lamb, Soft Poly (Silver Lining) Armchair, 2023

‘silver nitrate’

In a continuation of his explorations with various coating materials, Max Lamb introduces a new series of highly reflective chairs, dubbed Silver Nitrate. This collection (see in the gallery below) begins with the same process as his previous Poly works, where polystyrene is meticulously cut to create irregular ridges. These ridges are then sprayed with rubber, which dries almost instantaneously, forming the signature drips that characterize his creations.

The final transformation of Max Lamb’s Silver Nitrate chairs is slow. A wet application process of silver nitrate breathes life into the rubber-coated poly chairs. A precise chemical solution blending silver nitrate and sodium hydroxide is meticulously concocted to create a wet solution. This solution is then applied to the rubber-coated surface. As the solution dries and settles, it leaves behind a mirrored surface, reflecting light from every angle. The contours of the chairs are strikingly pronounced as they shimmer, while their mirrored surfaces artfully blur the boundaries, creating an interplay with their surroundings.

Max Lamb, Soft Poly (Silver Lining) Lounge Chair, 2023
Max Lamb, Soft Poly (Silver Lining) Coffee Table / Pouf, 2023