2024

Hand dyed leather desk with drawer and chair.

Desk: L1350 x H800 x D800 mm

Lacewood drawer, hand dyed leather, upholstery

Chair: H920 x D700 x W700 mm

Hand dyed leather, metal/polypropylene/ internal structure, upholstery

2004

Lacewood veneer, upholstery, mohair textile, hand painted leather, patinated bronze, polished bronze.

Commissioned by Fumi Gallery

H890mm x L1700mm x W500mm

2024

Pre-existing retired Ercol Cowhorn chair frames, internal timber structure, upholstery, hand dyed textile.

2013

Man made nature.

Scorced tree branches, mirror/glass, brass fixtures, rubber washers

Artwork in frame by Saelia Aparicio.

2014

Pre-existing chair frames, internal timber structure, upholstery, mohair, lime wood, tree branch buttons

H900 x L4000mm x W1000mm

2023

Dining set of five chairs.

Pre-existing Arne Hovmans-Olsen chair frames with sculpted upholstery body and leather exterior.

2023

Made from four pre-existing Ercol stacking chairs, upholstery, faux fur, branch buttons.

Commissioned by Side Gallery

Solo show, Objective Gallery

New York

Exhibition story -

A scalpel in one hand, foam in the other, Charlotte Kingsnorth admits her mind does present an image of Frankenstein and Doctor Waldman. A metamorphosis is in progress, while sculpting foam, some thing comes alive. Was it the kink in the leg? The suggestion of an ear? The artist does not overthink it, each work is an exploration of a moment. 

Lawerence Weiner said art is “where you try to do that funny thing where you don’t want to fuck up somebody’s day on their way to work, you want to fuck up their whole life.” Charlotte Kingsnorth invites you to question reality as you know it.

Addressing a present moment rife with simulations, the artist presents functional objects in visible states of metamorphosis. These are not simply perversions of identity but open questions. 

Led by instinct, Kingsnorth deepens the techniques she has come to be known for, salvaging and restoring pre-existing furniture frames; an act of intervention, sans the divinity. In forming new lives for past objects, the artist explores the terrain of a hyperreality.

Sculpted biomorphic forms adorn previously discarded frames in her inimitable process of ‘character building’. Aside from toying with the haptic senses, modern consumption is called into examination. Does it look familiar? Not simply a lamp having an identity crisis, Don’t Pet the Lamp is a contemplation of identity’s malleable nature. 

The reuse of old things is a recognition of an ethereal quality reserved for objects with a previous life, embodying a value unique to humans. Another layer. 

Like eyes in a painting following you around the room, discomfort is not the goal but a byproduct of the uncanny. For the sake of comparison, Animalistic Tendencies offers a marriage of human, animal, other, use it as mirror, map, desk but whatever you do don’t forget to feed it.

2024

Pre-existing Koželka chair frame, ottoman frame made bespoke to pair, upholstery, textile, hairy seams.

2023

Three objects merge three materials - dyed birdseye maple veneer table, a highly polished stainless steel mirror, and a chair with hand stitched silk which imitates the leathery texture and pimples of ostrich leather. The chair seams are left raw, like feathers. A woven tail handle sits at the back of the chair and works as a handle to pull it out, with a matching handle for the table drawer.

2023

Made from a pre-existing and repaired Ercol armchair, biomorphic upholstery, mohair and upholstery buttons made from a plane tree branch (felled outside the studio)

Foamy materiality; a transition from foam to stone

2024

Stoneware, acrylic

H980 x W530 x D400 mm

Edition of 9 + 1 artist proof, commissioned by Objective Gallery

pre-existing farmhouse chairs, upholstery, fuzzy textile

2022

2023

Spotty pine units that rotate to work in every combination.

Part of Animalistic Tendencies, solo show with Objective Gallery

H750 x W750 x D500 mm (each unit)

2022

The outcome of a three month residency at EKWC (The European Ceramic Workcentre), an appeared change of state from foam to stone, which concluded with a series of ceramic urns. This is a study into the perversion of materials.

Stoneware, underglaze

H460 x W240 mm

2022

Commissioned by Objective Gallery

A dining set based around the mid century British furniture brand, who launched a post war furniture revolution, the then radical idea of selling sofas without matching chairs.

The morphed chairs club around the table in miss-match forms, their sculpted mottled velvet bodies’ merge texturally with the dappled wood grain of the table. Each chair fits into its own specific curvature between the table legs.

Made from ash timber, foam, velvet, lacewood veneer.

table: H720 x 1500 mm

chairs varying sizes: H1000 x W580 x D500 mm

2023

Flocked steel, swivel wheels, bendy tubular neck, flexible silk shade

1000mm x 350mm x 350mm

2021

Robin Day polyprop chair frame enveloped in upholstery and faux fur.

Edition of 9 + artist proof

commissioned by Objective Gallery as part of a series of 10 new hi!breed chairs for their Shanghai gallery.

Hi!breed chair

2021

Commissioned by Objective Gallery

Made from the remnants of two disassembled and dissected tubular bistro chairs, the main parts of which went into making the spidery chair.

Hand sculpted biomorphic upholstery and warp knitted textile.

2021

Made from two whicker bistro chairs, dissected and reassembled.

Commissioned by Objective Gallery as part of a series of 10 new hi!breed chairs which went on show in their Shanghai gallery.

2021

commissioned by Objective Gallery, Shanghai

Puff Mundus & Puff Around Mundus

Made from repaired bentwood Mundus bistro chairs, enveloped to varying degrees, in puffer upholstery with stud detailing.

Made from a teak and beech timber Danish dining chair, repaired and enveloped in upholstery and wrinkled lambs leather.

2021

Materials: Teak, Beech, lambs nappa

H80 x W62 x D64d cm

Commissioned by Etage Project, a group show curated by Sebastian Ranhauge.

2012

How can the overall form of an object transform once its surface is broken and tension released?

Foam is rolled tightly to create a taut cylinder. A bold slash lengthways with a knife creates a sudden burst and changes the form in a permanent way. The once hidden layer inside is exposed and presents a new surface, which functions as a seat. The hand painted digitally printed textile skins the form of the sofa, its two dimensional effect outlines the eruption.

Flame-retardant foam over internal steel frame, powder coated legs, digitally printed textile.

H900x W1560 x D820

2021

Capturing the visual functionality of iron work in construction from the industrial revolution period, where bolts are used to physically hold iron parts together, but also serve as a form of industrial decoration; the Holey Foam Table is a soft representation made from cast scrap iron.

Commissioned by Emma Scully Gallery for Cast Iron

2021

Commissioned by Objective Gallery

Supersized grommets punctured into silk encased foam body, which wraps around a pre-existing tubular ply chair frame.

I was asked to stay at Elounda Island in Crete in October 2020 for a two week residency

In terms of a workspace it was a rustic set up, which made it an interesting challenge. I worked on a fallen olive tree that the owners Leda and Costa (and several extra pairs of hands) had lifted over from some land nearby.

Stood out in the beautiful Cretan autumn light, I dug out the burrs, hacked, carved and sanded the bark of the tree. I wanted to play with the texture to recreate a new bark coating onto its surface. An animalistic transition happened when we turned the tree on its head, like an octopus with branching tentacle legs. I made it into a giant sea light with a melted head and positioned it in their gardens. Looking out to sea, it runs on solar power energy and illuminates the garden at dusk.

2021

Commissioned by Objective Gallery, Shanghai

Faux fur, upholstery, pre-existing shaker chair.

H700mm x 900mm x 700mm

Using an ancient Egyptian technique of polishing bronze to create a reflective surface, Lichen Mirror is made from highly polished bronze to produce a clear rose tinted reflection. Deep burnt black hues, verdigris, blue and purple lichen-like patina tarnish the fringes of the mirror.

H520 x L570 x D9 mm

2020

Squishy Thonet II is a continuation of the Hi!breed family. This series explores the personification of old chair frames with a sense of a life before.

This is a bench sculpted from two Thonet bentwood chairs engulfed in biomorphic upholstery.

The chair frames were donated to the studio by Lassco Brunswick House, an architectural salvage yard in London.

Acid green silk velvet encases the boulder-like form. The chairs have a solid internal structure joining them together.

H 76 cm x W 135 cm x D 58 cm

“I hate reality – I want to be wholly artificial” _ Lola Ferrari

The notched markings found on the bark of a birch tree have been borrowed to make a new coat for this collection.

Approaching notions around identity and masks, with a deep fascination into deconstructing archetypes, the work came from questioning “what is real anyway?” and the apparent inability to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality.

Log sections are hand picked for their character, and blackened using a charring technique learnt from the 18th century Japanese method of preserving wood, called shou sugi ban. The carved markings reveal the natural colouring of the wood underneath. This process has a transforming effect which turns the wood stump into a caricature of itself.

Material: kiln dried oak

2020

This series explores the personification of old chair frames with a sense of a life before.

Pre-existing bobbin chair frame, upholstery, silk.

2021

With the application of the formulated lichen patina, this rudimentary bronze table form is sprouting with fungal textures. Layers of white, gold and rose lichen-like patina tarnish the body of the table. The inside surface of the cylindrical base glows orange and blue as a result of the heat application.

Material: Patinated bronze base with bronze top

H720 x D580 x W550 mm

Borrowing an ancient Egyptian technique of polishing bronze to create a reflective surface, Lichen Mirror is made from highly polished bronze to produce a clear rose tinted reflection. Layers of colourful fungal textures tarnish the fringes of the mirror, made with the specially formulated lichen-like patina.

H720 x L1000 x D9 mm

Part of the Hi!breed family, this chair is sculpted from a repaired Victorian bedroom chair and biomorphic upholstery. This series explores the personification of old chair frames with a sense of a life before. There is an anthropomorphic happening during the process of enveloping the frames with plump upholstery.

Hand stitched green mohair fabric encases the body of the chair.

The notched markings found on the bark of a birch tree have been borrowed to make a new coat for this collection.

Approaching notions arounds identity and masks with a deep fascination into deconstructing archetypes, the work came from questioning “what is real anyway?” and the apparent inability to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality.

This is a table cloaked in a reimagined bark, with blackened wood using a charring technique learnt from the 18th century Japanese method of preserving wood, called shou sugi ban, and hand carvings.

The table comes in two parts, which can be pushed together as one or used as two separate side tables.

H500 x W700 x L1080 x D45 mm

2019

Squishy Thonet is a continuation of the Hi!breed family, sculpted from an an old broken Thonet Bentwood chair. The series explores the personification of old chair frames with a sense of a life before. There is an anthropomorphic happening during the process of enveloping the frames with plump upholstery.

The chair was donated to the studio by Lassco, an architectural salvage yard in London. Originally produced in 1859, it was named Chair Nr.14 and was pioneering in its lightweight design with a ground breaking technique using hot steam to bend wood. Chair Nr.14, was an iconic design and was the first chair to go into mass manufacture.

Acid green silk velvet encases the biomorphic form with just a little of the wooden structure exposed. Every chair in this collection is a one off.

H 88 cm x W 45 cm x D 45 cm

With the application of the formulated lichen patina, this rudimentary bronze table form is sprouting with fungal textures. Layers of black, deep blue, rust, pink and green lichen-like patina tarnish the body of the table. The inside surface of the cylindrical base glows orange and blue as a result of the heat application.

This collection was commissioned by The New Craftsmen for Processing Lichen & Other Matter, a show we collaborated on, in 2019.

Material: Patinated bronze base with unfinished bronze top

H400 x D600 x W800 mm

As part of the Lichen collection, this mirror uses the ancient Egyptian technique of polishing bronze to create a reflective surface. Lichen Mirror is made from highly polished bronze to produce a clear rose tinted reflection. Layers of pearlescent whites, verdigris, blues and burnt black lichen-like patina tarnish the fringes of the mirror.

This collection was originally commissioned by The New Craftsmen for Processing Lichen & Other Matter, a show we collaborated on for London Craft Week 2019.

H520 x L570 x D9 mm

2019

Pre-existing Victorian balloon back chair and biomorphic upholstery.

This series of chairs explores the personification of old chair frames with a sense of a life before.

Hand stitched mottled lilac velvet encases the body of the chair. Every chair in this collection is a one off.

2019

Made from left over scrap bronze, these candle holders have a patinated inward finish and a hand applied cross-hatch outward pattern.

2018

The organic and symbiotic nature of Lichen Table is informed from the study of lichen, a slow-growing organism that lives among fungi in a symbiotic relationship. It can be found in many different forms, from leaf like branches, to a powder-like or cracked appearance, both dull and beautiful and bright colours and growing almost anywhere, from trees and rocks to brickwork and metal railings.

The table is made up of three smaller tables, which fit together like a rock formation to make one larger surface. Each table can partner with another to create a smaller table or break away entirely to be used as stand alone tables. Colourful fungal patterns tarnish the bronze surface through the process of patination, a careful application of selected chemical compounds formed on the surface during exposure to atmospheric elements.

H7200 x L2000 x W1400 mm

2019

Small bronze shelves which can display special objects or candles.

H17 x L18.5 x W15 cm

2018

Part of the Hi!breed family, this chair is sculpted from a repaired farmhouse chair frame. Blue mottled velvet encases the body of the chair, which is hand stitched.

Every chair in this collection is a one off.

Narrates the bond between a woman and her seat. Together they sit as one, the flesh spills and bulges, enveloping the wooden frame as a marriage of two mediums. There is an anthropomorphic happening during the process of enveloping the frame with fleshy upholstery.

Commissioned by the Crafts Council and The New Craftsmen for their show at Design Miami, USA, 2017.

Made from vegan leather, foam, timber frame.

H1200 x W1600 x D1150 mm

2013

Stitched Urn is the result of a visual and haptic exploration into the perversion of materials, from foam to stone. They hold a balance of senses somewhere between hard, soft, durable and fragile.

Stoneware, velvet underglaze

small: 310mm 150mm x 100mm

large: 380mm × 320mm × 100mm

2015

Commission to design a permanent art installation for the entrance lobby of a new residential development in Soho.

Ideas for the lobby centrepiece were led by the stories and characters of the area, with the idea to capture the romanticism and the history of Dickensian Soho that still permeates this area today. In the Victorian era Soho was occupied by sundry industries like organ makers, coach trim developers, silversmiths and goldbeaters, who used tremendous cast iron mallets to beat out ribbons of gold into gold leaf, a community of industrial creativity totally unique to Soho. Charles Dickens regularly frequented the area, referencing ‘gold beaters’, ‘silver chasers’ and the ‘mysterious golden giant’ in his book ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. This work immortalises the story in brass, bringing it to life and honouring the artistic community.

The final piece is a fourteen meter Ribbon of Gold, which dips in and out of the walls. The giant gold beater has beaten the gold strands with his humungous mallet, until it turns to gold leaf just microns thick.

Inscribed into the metal, is some prose taken from the book, which sets the tone for the building as a place of solace.

Tom Hingston Studio designed the entrance lobby for the office side of the development and designer Paul Cocksedge designed a spiral 'living' staircase. 

Photo credits: Mark Cocksedge, Howard Kingsnorth

2009

Babafelt is an easy chair made from thick merino wool felt. The felt sheet is cut and folded to make a cocoon-like seat, which responds to the occupants’ movements and hugs them as they lean back.

Felt is a high-tech ecological material which comes from a natural renewable source. The felt is made from high quality wool fibres which are mechanically pressed using heat, moisture and pressure. The outcome is long lasting, resistant against fire and moisture and acts as a natural insulator to noise.  

2012

A series of glass vessels and a floor lamp manifested through the observation of traditional glass blowing methods and tools. A new tool was designed, made, tested and refined which can be used to blow two air bubbles into the molten glass at once.

BLO Lamp combines the final glass product standing on the tool that blew it. 

Blo Lamp - hand blown glass, LEDs, stainless steel stand, concrete

Blo Vessels - hand blown glass

2011

Commissioned by Italian fashion brand Fendi to design displays for small wearable products for their new flagship London store. Keeping with the ethos of Fendi, we worked around themes of craftsmanship and luxury, using off-cuts of the Selleria leather used for their handbags. The result was a series of shimmering ‘portholes’, which served to display Fendi treasures; sunglasses, watches, jewellery and scarfs. Glowing softly, the mollusc-like vessels were made from rubber cast directly from the leather. The intricate leather veins are illuminated through the rubber, a nod to the brands Craft/Punk ethos. 

The Hi!breed collection continues to evolve from the bringing together of found furniture frames and fleshy biomorphic upholstery. With every new chair comes a new character, which is drawn out and realised as an individual sculptural form. Each chair is hand sculpted with foam, hand stitched and labelled.

2007

A reincarnation of an old and broken bistro chair found in London Soho, SOHO Sucker has been disassembled and put together into a new configuration. When the chair is sat upon, it’s feet create suction with the ground.

2009

Thrilly is a floor lamp with a manual dimming system. When the weight is pulled down the silk shade gathers and scrunches, which dims and softens the light. 

Silk shade, nickel plated stand and pulley.

At One narrates the bond between a person and their sofa. Together they sit as one, the flesh spills and bulges, enveloping the wooden frame as a marriage of two mediums. The new form is grotesquely beautiful.

Produced in response to a brief to design a sofa as a piece of art for the Vitra Editions range, winner of D&AD award in 2008.

Timber frame, foam, velvet and sheet latex.