Studio Truly Truly: Like Sculpture
Away from Daily Routine
Once they are stepped on the last stair of The Aram Gallery, people will find a very different scene. Situated on the top floor of the legendary furniture store, Aram Store, its independent gallery, the Aram gallery takes a different approach to communicate with the audience. Instead of arranging the furniture into the scene of everyday situations, The Aram Gallery presents each artefact individually. That provides a different angle for everyone (including the designers) to appreciate these things like they are sculptures.
Non-Linear is the solo exhibition of Studio Truly Truly that consists of Kate and Joel Booy. The Rotterdam-based team chose 9 works from their collection, ranging from lightings, furniture to textiles. Truly Truly invited photographer Pim Top to create a series of images which implies inspiration sources for each object. These images are printed on the panels whose materials are made of waste. They are hung from the ceiling, creating natural drapes and curves and shaping the whole space. Such panels make a backdrop for the objects, giving a stage for audiences to examine these objects.
In this show, Studio Truly Truly present their exploration into the light, material, and multiuse objects for future living. Standing at the entrance of the exhibition, Glimpse Mirrored Screen is an item of multiuse furniture that is composed of a display shelf and screen. This abstract object is made of coloured 2-way mirrors. People can see through the glass, meanwhile being distracted by their own reflection.
Looking at Fuse Cabinet in the distance, its appearance recalls the tiger pattern. If you take a closer look, the grain of the cedarwood reveals what it is. In this object, the designer has layered cedarwood with black marble and basalt in synthetic resin, which is inspired by the marble stone. The trace of layers is hidden inside. Opening the cabinet, people can see through this sculpture from the inside out. Such a factitious mix arouses a sense of alienation. However, this feeling will be eliminated by the time the cabinet gets opened. Touched Table Light also tries to explore the possibility of human intervention in materials’ natural expression. The designer has influenced the glass with gentle pokes, leaving several round and smooth marks. Such spots recall the fluidity of the liquid state glass. The sign of intervention makes the shade more like a glowing bubble.
According to Studio Truly Truly, their exploration is not one linear journey from start to finish. Non-Linear presents us with the various design approaches of Studio Truly Truly, the trial of material and the discussion of natural and human intervention. This exhibition presents these artefacts individually, like sculpture, which is to keep the objects away from daily routine. Audiences and the designers are given a chance to take one step back, not just re-observe the work of Studio Truly Truly, but also rethink daily life in our future.
All images courtesy of Cobalt (Mufan Zhang) and Misato Ehara.
▄ Cobalt (Mufan Zhang)
Mufan Zhang graduated from China Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2019, she is now studying at Kingston School of Art majoring in MA Curating Contemporary Design.
Peer Reviewed by: Chloe (Haiyan Zhou) / Editor: Misato Ehara
