Material Intent

Material Intent is a summer exhibition of design pieces united by the warm, luminous, and joyful sensibilities that define the season. Opening at Carpenters Workshop Gallery New York, the exhibition features both contemporary and historic works that embrace brightness and openness, inviting viewers into an interplay between object, space, and time.

The presentation includes a particular focus on lighting sculptures by French artist Léa Mestres, whose practice is grounded in the creation of objects that evoke joy. Based between Paris and Audierne, Mestres challenges the conventions of a design world that she often considers overly serious. Using whimsy and nostalgia as aesthetic devices, she transforms functional objects into expressive, characterful presences.