A furniture pop-up exhibit in Edmonton, which will run until June 15, shows visitors that there is actually a lot of local design talents within the city. The exhibit called “Vignettes” demonstrates the works of industrial design students from the University of Alberta. These students are currently taking up courses in varying fields of design including furniture design up to 3D printing applications.
The show is organized by Mojo Design, an interior design company, which aims to show that design happens within Edmonton. The company started this “local market” project September of last year and has been promoting local artists and designers such as potters, silk screeners, jewellers, and the likes, all throughout the year. For this month, Mojo showcases furniture designers though “Vignettes.”
Laura Kurylo, Mojo Design design assistant said, “Lots of students feel they have to leave the city to pursue their careers.” She adds, “It’s almost like an underground industry here. You don’t really hear a whole lot about it.”
Kurylo also cited that a lot of locals within Edmonton are not aware that the products are made of high quality, as much as they are not exposed to the thought process that goes into designing products.
Some of the highlights of the furniture exhibit include the urban woodworkers’ at Oliver Apt which produces handcraft stools, tables or wooden bars. Their works are all around town such as the Woodwork restaurant and The Duchess Bake Shop. Another would Sam Cupelli’s custom designed bed frames, kitchen tables and yard gates which are all done under Simply Steel Metal Art Studio. Another company would be the all-women design team at Loyal Loot whose works are actually lauded by Martha Stewart and Kanye West but are not locally-recognized. All of these works are far different from the generic modular furniture pieces that a lot of people purchase to practically fill-up a space.
“The University of Alberta program has really opened it up to students to really explore it and show people what you can get outside of those big-box stores.” Kurylo said.
