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Grant Recipient

Warmth in Victory, Reclaimed Subway tile, Brick-laid Maple, & Copper

Colin Knight

Windgate-Lamar Fellowship

2020

I see no shortage of objects which connect to the past, but the past is not always pleasant nor something we wish to remember. I make furniture which transforms these objects of trauma into objects of comfort, a translation which cultivates healing and rebuilding physically but also psychologically. My current body of work reimagines British Mid-Century Modern design. While continental Europe dominated design after WW2, England’s cautious regrowth produced safe and quiet designs. I investigate this moment in furniture through recontextualization of wartime materials and forms, pushing the furniture to serve as a creative icon of security during a time of recovery and renewal. As an artist grounded in the discipline of craft, I express my material-obsessed nature and my love of creative problem-solving through building furniture. Making contemporary furniture comes with an inherent set of constraints: the piece must be visually compelling and carry modern concepts into the home through material and form while enduring years of use. Experiencing furniture exists as a relationship of familiar sensations, triggered memories, and bodily interactions; whether in the way your body is supported perfectly or in the way the detailing of a cushion reminds you of some long-ago sofa, we seek comfort in all aspects of furniture. This comfort is a powerful tool in shifting the way we feel about objects which have been representational of darker times in our history.

Bio of the Artist

Organization Background

Location

Richmond, VA

EDUCATION

VCU School of the Arts

SPECIALIZATION

Furniture

Institution

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA

Grant amount

$15,000

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