During the opening week of Boundary Encounters, a group of young artists, aged 16-18, joined commissioned artist Harold Offeh for a week of collaborative design and creative experimentation in the gallery. Considering the potential encounters between visitors, artists and artworks, the young artists created pieces of furniture to support and celebrate creativity and togetherness.
The young artists worked with Harold to explore the uses, practicalities and performative possibilities of chairs, considering how they can support and facilitate community and conversation. Over the course of the week the young artists developed their design and woodworking skills, and each created their own individual chairs which will be exhibited within Harold’s Pavilion throughout the exhibition.
The young artists were able to hone their woodworking skills during a trip to Lula James Woodworking Creative, where Daisy Lula Brunsdon and Andrew James Joye helped everyone to create their own stool. Designer and craft communicator, Hattie Speed, joined the group for the duration of the residency, and along with Andy Owen, artist and Modern Art Oxford’s Assistant Production Manager, supported the young artists in bringing their creative ideas to life.
The chairs have all been created using materials recycled from previous exhibitions at Modern Art Oxford, including some from the current exhibition, Boundary Encounters, as well as Love is Enough, and Carey Young: Appearance.
This webpage will be updated soon with blog posts from the young artists themselves, giving more insights into their chairs and their experiences of being part of the Young Creatives Residency with Harold Offeh.
For this residency we have partnered with Speakers for Schools.
Photo 1 and 2 by Mills Brown. Photo 3 by Daisy from Lula James