During the past decade, Chris Schanck has emerged as a leading figure in the design world for his otherworldly fusion of sculpture and furniture. Skirting the line between refinement and camp, the strange, unfamiliar forms of Schanck’s chairs, sofas, lighting, mirrors, and more suggest coral reefs, extraterrestrial worlds, and artifacts from ancient civilizations, to name just a few of the designer’s inspirations. Each piece is meticulously handcrafted in Schanck’s Detroit-based studio, a community of artists, students, and Bangladeshi craftspeople who all make key contributions to the studio's collective practice. Deftly melding innovative material experiments with an expressive yet rigorous refinement of form, Schanck’s elaborately carved, colorfully hued, and lustrous objects are contemporary talismans of stories from the past, present, and future.
Chris Schanck: Off-World is guest curated by Andrew Blauvelt.
Support for the exhibition and its related publication provided by Friedman Benda.
This exhibition is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Special recognition to the members of Chris Schanck Studio: Dan Adamczyk, Rahela Begum, Connor Ghena, Tony Hope, Tony Printz, and Delwara K. Shopna.
Image: Installation view of the exhibition. Photo: Jenna Bascom
