On May 16, DESIGN MIAMI.LA debuts its first presentation in the city, on view through May 20. The fair’s newly appointed Global Creative Director for 2024, Henrik Purienne, here invokes LA’s design history with the concepts of nostalgia, imagination, and eclecticism—alongside the overarching, immersive theme of “Living with Design,” which is celebrated in a colorful photographic campaign.
DESIGN MIAMI.LA follows in the footsteps of the fair’s international events in Miami Beach, Paris, and Basel, and will be held at a sweeping, private estate in the Holmby Hills neighborhood. Designed by late architect Paul Williams, the inaugural Black architect to be inducted as a member of the American Institute of Architects, the 30,000 sq. ft. property will host a parade of presentations from globally renowned galleries, with singular collaborations and endeavors intermeshing fashion, entertainment, and design.
Photo by Walker Bunting, courtesy of Holmby Hills estate, Los Angeles.
Design Miami CEO, Jen Roberts said, “2024 is a year of evolution for Design Miami, as we continue to reach wider audiences through our expanding programming and ever-growing creative network.”
“It feels perfectly fitting to start the year with our inaugural LA exhibition—which promises a dynamic and thoughtful gallery program that is deeply rooted in the city’s cultural and creative ecosystem,” she continued. “We look forward to presenting this fair through the lens of our new visual identity—designed to reflect the past, present and future of Design Miami as the global forum for collectible design.”
Photo by Walker Bunting, courtesy of Holmby Hills estate, Los Angeles.
DESIGN MIAMI.LA is Inspired by California’s Rich Design Heritage
Collectible design market advisor and curator Ashlee Harrison serves as Curatorial Director of the fair’s Los Angeles iteration, thoughtfully bringing together must-see historic and contemporary furniture, as well as awe-inspiring objets d’art and lighting, culminating in a site-specific wonderland of design transcending time and space.
“I am honored to collaborate with Design Miami as Curatorial Director of the inaugural edition of DESIGN MIAMI.LA,” said Harrison. “This edition will serve as a testament to California’s rich design heritage, paying homage to the Paul R. Williams designed historic estate in which the fair will be presented.”
“Convergence,” 2023, by Miriam Carpenter from Moderne Gallery at DESIGN MIAMI.LA, courtesy of Moderne Gallery.
“A land of dreamers and creators, California has always been fertile ground for risk-taking and avant-garde thinking across all realms of design,” said Harrison. “This edition of DESIGN MIAMI.LA will center on the themes of eclecticism, imagination, and nostalgia that have informed the city’s design landscape, bringing together some of the world’s leading international design galleries and voices for the first time under one roof.”
A Photographic Campaign Begins with LA-Based Artist Peter Shire
Within the realm of “Living with Design,” a visually stunning photographic campaign of creative visionaries in their own captivating spaces unfolds with a fresh graphic design. LA-based artist Peter Shire is placed front and center for the LA fair, imparting the warmth and whimsy present in his imaginative universe.
“Peter Shire remains a vital figure in Los Angeles’s creative landscape, bridging the gaps between different artistic disciplines and challenging our perceptions of art, design, and their place in everyday life,” said Purienne.
KAWS Chair Black, 2018, by KAWS and Estudio Campana from Friedman Benda at Design Miami Los Angeles, photo by Daniel Kukla.
“His work not only reflects the dynamic and eclectic spirit of Los Angeles but also continues to inspire and provoke dialogue in the wider creative community,” said Purienne.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Design Miami’s first flagship show, which took place in Miami Beach, DESIGN MIAMI.LA will set the 1938 Holmby Hills estate aglow with curated presentations by Friedman Benda (New York/Los Angeles), Southern Guild (Cape Town/Los Angeles), The Future Perfect (New York/Los Angeles), Moderne Gallery (Philadelphia), R & Company (New York), Gallery FUMI (London), and more.
A Podium exhibition, underpinned by the concept of “Master Works of Collectible Design, 1938-Present,” spotlights a myriad of galleries, conjuring the ever-compelling golden era of Hollywood through trailblazing luminaries, pivotal innovations, and timeless craftsmanship.
Incontro Coffee Table, 2024, by Francesco Perini from Gallery FUMI at Design Miami Los Angeles, courtesy of Gallery FUMI.
Designs from Misha Kahn, Genesis Belanger, and Jane Yang-D’Haene
Friedman Benda will reveal a group show focused on LA-based design practices within the international art landscape, bringing masterful works from artists including Samuel Ross, Darren Romanelli, Misha Kahn, Carmen D’Apollonio, and Farrell Hundley.
On the heels of opening a second outpost in Melrose Hill, Los Angeles, Southern Guild meditates on critical ecological matters, the importance of safeguarding craft traditions, and complex social politics for its explorative presentation at DESIGN MIAMI.LA. Forward-thinking designers such as Zanele Muholi, Zizipho Poswa, Porky Hefer, Andile Dyalvane, Rich Mnisi, Cheick Diallo, Nandipha Mntambo, King Houdekpinkhou, Patrick Bongoy and more offer revelatory pieces.
“Lilyfoot,” 2024, by Shona Heath and 1882 Ltd., from 1882 Ltd at Design Miami.LA, photo by Andrew F Wood.
In deft conversation with the iconic Holmby Hills estate—a luxurious juxtaposition of 1930s Georgian colonial revival architecture with pristine contemporary interior design gestures—The Future Perfect unveils masterpieces by Genesis Belanger in partnership with Bower Studios. Here, a series of acid-etched bronze mirrors play with notions of fantasy and reality as hands mysteriously appear from behind curtains, and our perceptions are ingeniously challenged.
Additional investigations by Jane Yang-D’Haene, Chris Wolston, Leena Similu, and Eric Roinestad speak with both collective and individual artistry.
Never-Before-Seen Works by George Nakashima
Moderne Gallery unites unparalleled and never-before-seen works by George Nakashima with the radiant historical and contemporary designs of Miriam Carpenter, Hasimoto Tomonari, Bobby Silverman, and more.
West Coast stars like Hun Chung Lee, Rogan Gregory, and Jolie Ngo are poetically linked by R & Company for a pioneering show. Meanwhile, Gallery FUMI experiments with a domestic mise-en-scene and beaming designs. Kustaa Saksi’s Pitkä-Kotka Chair is a dreamlike work of woven textile art embellishing an angular, pure oak wooden frame, and Francesco Perini’s Incontro Low Table is hypnotic in oak and inlaid rings of black gold marble. Sam Orlando Miller’s pair of effervescent mirrored wall sculptures derived from the Rona Luna series transmits the ethereal shades of the Los Angeles sky at dusk and dawn.
“Rifuwo (Wealth),” 2023 by Rich Mnisi from Southern Guild at Design Miami Los Angeles, courtesy of Southern Guild.
