Mixing Smooth with Rough – Furniture by French Designer Damien Gernay

Usually my picks here for the blog orientate around lighter colours, but this darker set of work by French designer Damien Gernay captured my attention and made me think deeply about the textures and materials that he’s using and how they could be intertwined and work together in a functional manner.

When I see work like this the first place I head to is the creatives bio to see what inspirations they are pulling from and what kind of influences they’ve had throughout their career. I think it’s normal for any human being to be soaking up inspiration at all times, so it made sense that Damien used to work on scenography projects for contemporary dance and theatre in Belgium. It’s only after this did he work as an artist and designer, later in 2007 establishing his own studio in Brussels.

This slight theatrical and experimental natures comes through in his work, showcasing his desire to challenge the meaning of art and design. For example his ‘Mer Noire’ series, inspiration he took from the sea and it’s ever changing appearance, Damien decided to use leather for the surface, moulding it to create a textured area that comes to life and catches the light. In a sense these experimental techniques may not be completely functional, but they still hold their roots in function and at the same time play with the complexities and paradoxes of life.

Here are a few of my favourite pieces from his portfolio, more though can be found on his website linked below. It’s great to see a creative pushing his abilities to the edge and forcing himself to think outside the box. We certainly need more of that. Enjoy!

damiengernay.com

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