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Chamber’s Second Limited Edition, “Human – Nature”

Chamber’s Second Limited Edition, “Human – Nature”
Human Nature collection, courtesy of Chamber Boutique

A 21st-century cabinet of curiosities, New York’s Chamber boutique leads its second annual limited-edition collection of unusual and experimental objects.

Human Nature,” curated by renowned photographer and filmmaker Andrew Zuckerman, follows the seasons with two separate installments, called Chapters. ‘Tis the season for winter holly or, perhaps, for sitting by the fire!

The collection’s featured object is the Black Gold Bank by Amsterdam-based artist Quintus Kropholler. The artist worked asphalt along with custom modified bitumen and pink Scottish granite to form Black Gold, a new material nominated for the New Material Award 2014.

Feel the fire with ceramicist Tim Rowan’s “Woodfired Raritan Clay Box,” baked in a wood-fired kiln in which flash ash and coals from the seven-day firing process melt upon the surface, forming a naturally occurring glaze pattern on its surface.

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Maarten Baas extended his original ‘Smoke Project’ with “Where There’s Smoke.” The project consists of 25 design classics that have been burned and preserved with transparent epoxy in Studio Baas and den Herder’s signature hand. The “Zig Zag” chair, a part of the original “Where There’s Smoke” series, is Baas’ contribution to the Chamber collection.

The season calls for shades of gray and black. “Tacitas Stones, The Chamber Collection” by bravo! brings together seasonal color and natural elements. “Hono Bench/Coffee Table” by UHURU, Bill Hilgendorf & Jason Horvath does the same with its dark brown wood; it really is a tree stump. Ultimate ArchiExpo favorites are the “Lasso” horse-saddle rocker by Ika Künzel and the “Brick Sofa” by Versus + KiBiSi.

Marlène Huissoud’s “Bee Vase” goes beyond appearance. The designer used propolis, a biodegradable resin that bees collect from trees for a sealant in their hive, then made properties resembling smooth glass by traditional glass-blowing and engraving techniques. The black variant Huissoud chose possesses a much lower melting point than glass. “A single beehive produces only 100 grams of propolis per year, meaning these unique vases are few and far between.”

Another flying friend, “Birds on Loos” by Australian glass manufacturer J. & L. Lobmeyr, engraver Pavlína Čambalová and Zuckerman, is a tale of its own. It stems from architect Adolf Loos’ work in 1931, his iconic glass tumblers from “Drinking Set No. 248”. Based on Zuckerman’s photography, Čambalová etched five species of exotic birds, which were placed on the base of the glass.

To end on a wabi-sabi note, in honor of this issue’s Japanese fix, several objects exemplify a positive human-to-nature ratio. The “Tea Set” by Kai Williams and the “Garden Tray” by Chen Chen, the “Luck Plant” by Luna Paiva and “Cymbidium Ming Vase with Gold Leaf” by Jeremy Cole.

Cymbidium Ming Vase by Jeremy Cole

Cymbidium Ming Vase by Jeremy Cole

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