Exhibition

'Awkward': New Furniture by Karen Ryan

23 Sep 2010 – 6 Nov 2010

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Marsden Woo Gallery

London, United Kingdom

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Travel Information

  • Bus numbers 55, 243, 26 and 35 also stop nearby.
  • Old Street Underground and Shoreditch and Hoxton Overground stations are a short walk away.
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About

Karen Ryan is best known for her inspired use of discarded furniture which she transforms into thought-provoking works. For the London Design Festival, September 2010, she will take over the Project Space at Marsden Woo Gallery in Clerkenwell to create 'Awkward', a visual exploration of the ignored and the theme of femininity.

The resulting pieces are no mere assemblages of used furniture but a deeply affecting and inspired meditation on the way we create and use the objects that surround us. Controversial and challenging, Ryan explodes the myth of perfect design and allows the viewer to meditate on the many meanings of chairs and the physical and psychological disease they can provoke.

These, like her earlier works, are intensely personal. In the words of William Bostwick (ID Magazine Jan/Feb 2009): 'By shunning mass production, [Ryan's] work brings a spark of humanity into an increasingly impersonal world and a bit of artistic flair into industrial design.'


Biographical information:

Karen Ryan is a contemporary British designer based in Portsmouth, England. She completed an MA in Design Products at the Royal College of Art in 2001. Her work has been exhibited widely in Europe, including Cubitt Gallery; Rabih Hage Gallery; Aram; Liberty's; 100% Design and Designersblock, London; Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth; Object Rotterdam; Salon de Meuble, Paris; and Rossana Orlandi, Milan. In 2009, her work was included in Li Edelkoort's Wish List exhibition and auction at Pierre Berge, Brussels. Her most recent exhibitions have been 'Custom Made USA' presented by Balloon Contemporary at the 2010 Chicago Art Fair and 'Custom Made in England' Vanity series at the Spring Projects exhibition 'Straw Dogs' with Jake and Dinos Chapman, Hans Stofer and Jason Brooks in London, summer 2010.

Marsden Woo Project Space is curated by Tessa Peters and Janice West

The Marsden Woo Project Space is an exciting new initiative running alongside our established programme of solo and small group exhibitions by gallery artists. MW Project Space allows us to respond quickly to significant bodies of innovative work and will be used to showcase the work of talented emerging artists and designers and fresh directions in the work of more established artists. These exhibitions are organized at short notice, so please check our website regularly for news on forthcoming shows and events.

For further information, images, or to arrange an interview with the artist please contact Tatjana Marsden or Alida Sayer

Tel: 020 7336 6396

Email: info@marsdenwoo.com

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