Since its opening in 2021, Gallery Collectional, Dubai’s first collectible design gallery, has been fostering creative conversations across design and art, blurring the boundaries between functionality and aesthetics. For “Urban Fabric Series 001”, its inaugural commissioned series curated by Yoko Choy, the gallery invited seven next-generation designer-artists from Asia to craft collectible editions inspired by their respective metropolitan experiences, namely in Tokyo, Seoul, Hangzhou, Singapore and Milan. Experts in materials, state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques and new technologies, with a strong understanding of craftsmanship and quality, most of the designers however had no prior experience in the collectible design field or the gallery environment. “I believe that providing them with this platform to step outside of their comfort zones and offering them an opportunity to express themselves in ways not achievable through mass production and consumer markets will stimulate them to create something refreshing and exciting” Choy says, and they’ve proved just that.
The 28 artworks on display until March 31, 2024, epitomise the juxtaposition between industrial precision and artisanal finesse, seamlessly fusing rationality and emotion. At the same time, by showcasing the works of a younger generation of Asian creatives with diverse cultural backgrounds, Series 001 also aims “to uncover a deeper understanding and appreciation of Asian contemporary design” as CEO and Co-Founder of Gallery Collectional, Cristiano Baccianti explains.