May Exhibition at Tribecca’s Salon Design Gallery Debuts New Collections From Brooklyn-based Lighting Designer Rosie Li and Dutch Textile Designer Sina Dyks
Focused on color as a driver of mood and sensorial exploration, the exhibition also includes new work Kajsa Willner, a site-specific installation by Christina Watka, lighting from solar designer Marjan van Aubel, and new paintings from Dominick Leuci and Darryl Westly
Press Open House: May 9, 2024, 10 am-12 pm
VIP Preview: May 9, 2024, 6-8 pm
Public Exhibition Dates: May 10 - June 21, 2024
Special NYCxDESIGN cocktail: May 17, 2024, 6-8 pm
New York, NY (April 30, 2024) -- This May, Salon Design will debut new collections from leading Brooklyn-based lighting designer Rosie Li and Dutch textile designer Sina Dyks in an exhibition that celebrates the role of color in bringing objects and space to life with a distinct mood and feel. Curated as a series of vignettes and color stories, the exhibition, Color Theory, will center on the works of these two designers – augmented by new work from Kajsa Willner, a site-specific installation by Christina Watka, solar-designer Marjan van Aubel’s Sunne lights, and paintings from Dominick Leuci and Darryl Westly – focusing on their use of color as they explore new avenues in their practice.
The exhibition’s theme was inspired by Rosie Li’s new collection of limited edition light sculptures, Chroma, which will debut in this context and mark her first use of color in the Laurel and Ginkgo series. The collection comprises 4 limited edition lights complemented by a new series of colorful, bubbly wall mounts, which are conceived in an open edition. All of the lights stem from on-going series that explore underlying links between nature, mathematics and geometry. Expressed through simple geometric modules, her work seeks to quantify natural phenomena by combining and recombining repeated organic forms. Li noted that “the new lighting editions represent a natural evolution of our color explorations, which began with the launch of Rainbow Bubbly in 2020. I’m excited to infuse our designs with fresh hues and share pieces from our yearslong journey in color.”
Color Theory pairs these works with five new, editioned tapestries by Sina Dyks, that create a compelling, technically-nuanced backdrop imbued with deeper meaning on the effects of color and texture. Inspired by the theory of Shivani Khetan, an expressive arts therapist, Dyks aims to stimulate the senses of the viewer with her colorful textile objects, encouraging reflection on how color and texture influence our mood and enrich our perspective on the world. These intricately-woven tapestries of recycled PET yarns demonstrate a profound love for color exploration and fascination with materials. Dyks’s unique approach combines technical precision with a passion for experimentation that showcases her mastery of silk screening, weaving, jacquard weaving, laser cutting, knitting, and sublimation printing, pushing the boundaries of textile artistry. As Dyks describes,“I hope my work not only reflects a mastery of the technical skills of weaving but my attempt to weave emotion and imagination into every fiber.”
“Color Theory came out of a number of organic, simultaneous conversations with designers who were all pushing the boundaries of their work with explorations of color and materiality that were engaging with larger ideas of how we experience the world and relate to it,” noted Salon Design gallery director Amanda Pratt. “It has been really exciting to bring these works and designers in conversation with one another, both to create a serene, compelling experience of color and texture in the gallery, and to spur on conversations on materiality, sustainability, and design.”
The exhibition is augmented by the US gallery debuts of both Dutch solar designer Marjan van Aubel and Malmö-based designer Kajsa Willner. Two of van Aubel’s award-winning Sunne lamps – a colorful solar light that reflects the shades of sunrise and sunset – will be on display in Color Theory, alongside three large format vessels and illuminated sculptures from Willner, epitomizing tenacious creative expression, unruly experimentation, and a brilliantly low-tech design process. Utilizing traditional handcraft techniques, Willner presents an array of items, including large-scale vessels, a wall light, a desk lamp, and a side table thick coated in color and adorned with tin details. Through innovative methods, Willner breathes new life into these discarded remnants, seamlessly integrating them into case studies that illustrate the material's potential to be seen as a raw material with renewed purpose.
Color Theory also includes a site-specific glass-based installation by Christina Watka and eight original paintings. Five of the paintings in the exhibition are from Dominick Leuci, whose work takes a futuristic view to the past Eras of Romanticism and Modernism, creating a sense of alchemy and mystery. Three paintings are from Darryl Westly, whose work vacillates between abstract and representational, highlighting how the aesthetics of visual culture reflect not only the past, but our understanding of ourselves and the world that surrounds us.
About Salon Design
Salon Design is a New York based contemporary design gallery dedicated to promoting and supporting new and innovative work by emerging and established creators internationally, ranging from leading rug makers in Paris and India to experimental lighting designers in New York and textile innovators in the Netherlands. Bringing together works in a salon style presentation that prioritizes cohesive vignettes and intriguing collaborations, the quarterly exhibitions at Salon Design showcase new series alongside existing work from artists and makers pushing the boundaries of material exploration while creating high-quality collectible design. With a gallery roster comprised by 80% women, Salon Design also aims to flip the gender dynamics of the art and design worlds, supporting the creative practices of women internationally.
Originally founded in 2018 in Boston, Salon Design has been housed in a ground floor space in Tribeca since 2022 and presents projects internationally. Founded by interior designer and art advisor Amanda Pratt, the gallery is focused on presenting works that are intuitively collectible, resonant, and beautiful.
About Amanda Pratt
Amanda Pratt is the founder of Salon Design, a New York City based contemporary design gallery. An interior designer and art advisor, Pratt’s practice is dedicated to supporting and promoting the work of emerging and established creatives, building opportunities to create a sustainable market for compelling practices internationally. Focused especially on supporting female makers to combat historic inequities across the creative fields, Pratt’s work as both a gallerist and advisor focuses on building and supporting work that is often under-recognized or under-represented in the US.
Prior to her work in design sphere, Pratt’s work spanned financial analytics and medical research, bringing a unique sense of precision, investment, and sensitivity to her gallery operations. She was formerly a derivatives structurer and trader at financial services firms in New York and Hong Kong, and a clinical researcher for heart transplant technology at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. She attended Princeton University, Columbia University and Inchbald School of Design.
Pratt lives in New York City and Scarborough, Maine with her husband and three daughters.
Media contact
Sara Griffin
+1-917-656-6348