The now-annual Handmade exhibition by London-based design and lifestyle magazine Wallpaper returns for its 10th edition, with a greater spotlight on local artists—and love.
The show, which runs from Mar 7-Jun 30 at the National Museum of Singapore, continues its matchmaking of world-class artists and designers with makers and manufacturers, to commission one-off luxury items of furniture and fittings. Titled Wallpaper* Handmade Passion Projects, this edition brings together seven established Singapore-based designers and design studios. Making their debut on home soil as part of Singapore Design Week, the eight Singapore pieces will go on to be showcased at Milan Design Week in April alongside other 2019 Handmade pieces.
Curated to the theme of love, works range from riffs on self-love (an ever-expanding Collector’s Case from Lanzavecchia + Wai and Globe-Trotter) to personal interpretations of parental love—like a perfectly balanced Clink coin holder, from this year’s Next Generation Designer winner Brandon Yeo that harkens back to his childhood days of receiving pocket money from his parents.
In the same vein, there’s Blanket by Asylum and Turnbul & Asser, a childhood quilt that goes beyond just evoking memories of mum covering you with a quilt to keep from catching ill; designer Chris worked with UK gentleman’s bespoke shirtmakers Turnbull & Asser to fashion it out of ties, as an ode (albeit slightly dated) to the breadwinners working to provide for their loved ones.
Another standout piece is Cupboard Love, a bar cabinet designed by local architect duo and married couple Joshua Comaroff and Ong Ker-Shing of Lekker Architects. Self-proclaimed enthusiasts in exploring couple dynamics, the two created the vastly asymmetrical bar cabinet as a physical manifestation of marrying opposing personalities.
And finally, there’s Clara Yee’s Console, put together by DA A. Inspired by her discovery that the first-ever broadcast in Singapore was The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love”, she created an extravagant altar of sorts for the wifi router, to highlight our modern-day reverence for WiFi despite often overlooking the actual device.
For a look at more of the works on show, read on.
Clink by Brandon Yeo and Svenskt Tenn
Collector’s Case by Lanzavecchia + Wai and Globe-Trotter
Naja drinks-menu magnifying glass by Ron Arad, Smith Harris and Louisa Guinness
Cupboard Love by Lekker and Zeitraum
Hotel keys by Karl Zahn and The Nanz Company
Treasure chest by Tiffany Loy and Alma Leather
Wallpaper* Handmade Passion Projects runs from Mar 7-Jun 30 at the National Museum of Singapore. Admission is free
