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Discovered presents extraordinary furniture, objects, and sculptural works in wood
AHEC and Wallpaper* come together at Design Museum in London this month to highlight the works of 20 creatives representing the next generation of design talent.
By JOHAN MAGNUSSON
15 Sep 2021

The new Discovered exhibition is a collaboration between the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and Wallpaper* magazine. It offers a series of personal reflections on the experience of the pandemic, while providing a platform for new creatives after a year in which the usual channels for exposure were inaccessible. The exhibition is therefore a much-needed opportunity for emerging designers to get their work out there in front of the public and the industry.

— This is a time when the next generation needs support more than ever, so we are honoured to partner with AHEC in launching Discovered — to ensure the designers of tomorrow have the platform they deserve, Sarah Douglas, Editor-in-Chief of Wallpaper*, comments.

Selected from Wallpaper’s annual Graduate Directories and through AHEC’s network, the designers have worked alongside design mentors and AHEC’s global manufacturing partners to each develop a new object made from their choice of four sustainable hardwoods: American red oak, cherry, and hard and soft maple.

— We are really excited to be collaborating with Wallpaper* to engage and inspire the next generation of talented young designers. Together with Wallpaper*, we have selected an extremely exciting line-up of designers from 16 different countries. This project has enabled us to give them an extremely valuable learning experience on product design and development with sustainable hardwood, says David Venables, European director, AHEC.

Two of the selected designers in Discovered are from Sweden. 

Martin Thübeck

Martin Thübeck, ”Rå”. While confined at home with his young children, Thübeck found inspiration in the way they adapted their surroundings for play, challenging conventional ways to use furniture. Thübeck chose red oak for his design, based on the way the wood soaks up pigment and gives depth to it.

Sizar Alexis, ”Lahmu” (as seen in the top picture). Having lived through the Iraq war in the 1990s, Alexis imagined his home as a bunker, protecting his family and newborn son during the pandemic. Alexis chose two contrasting woods: one half of his piece is in American cherry, for its warmth, and one half is in red oak, its surface burned with a scorching technique.

Starting this week, until 10 October, the 20 designers’ works will be on display at the Design Museum in London, taking over the ground-floor atrium to showcase the creativity of the group and the versatility of their chosen materials.