Marc Newson

As a designer, I create objects as real, physical applications of creative processes.
—Marc Newson

Gagosian is pleased to announce a presentation of new limited-edition furniture designed by Marc Newson. Opening October 25, this is his first solo exhibition in Greece. Inspired by the nation’s traditional colors, the exhibition features objects in a palette of blues and white, along with pieces made in marble that marry classical materials with advanced technology. As Newson notes: “Greece and Greek culture have always been close to my heart, and it’s an honor to share these works in Athens.”

First achieving widespread recognition with Lockheed Lounge (1988), a chaise lounge in riveted aluminum, Newson has remained at the forefront of contemporary design for four decades, designing for both mass-market and exclusive production. Working across disciplines with some of the best-known companies in the world, he is renowned for his innovative approach.

The exhibition in Athens features a new cloisonné chair and lounge (both 2022). Their copper bodies are ornamented with elaborate allover patterning in circle and molecular “orgone” motifs. Newson’s employment of the ancient technique of cloisonné—typically used to craft small decorative objects—recalls his roots as a jeweler and silversmith. His decision to apply enamelwork to large-scale furniture necessitated the development of new production methods; artisans in Beijing affix cloisons, or partitions of copper wire, to the furniture forms, inlay enamel into the precisely defined designs, and then fire the pieces up to twelve times in vast, custom-made kilns.