Bethan Laura Wood's kaleidoscopic design world arrives at NUOVO, Hong Kong

NUOVO, Hong Kong's first furniture gallery dedicated to collectible design, is closing the year with a stunning exhibition by acclaimed British designer Bethan Laura Wood. On view from November 9 – December 16, 2024, As Seen Through the Lens of Nilufar and cc-tapis brings together Wood's signature contemporary designs crafted with her long-time collaborators, Milan’s Nilufar Gallery founded by Nina Yasher and Italian rug-makers cc-tapis, in her first solo exhibition in Hong Kong.

A Royal College of Art graduate, Wood is globally known for her ability to transform ordinary objects into cultural touchstones, manifesting them through vibrant product designs and material innovations. "I'm thrilled to bring my creations to Hong Kong, a city where culture and design constantly inspire. I hope audiences here will connect with the narratives embedded in my work," the multidisciplinary designer mentions.

In the design exhibition, Nilufar Gallery, which has represented Wood's work since 2010, offers standout pieces created through her ongoing collaboration with Yashar, including the Ornate Wall Lamps (2021), the Meisen Cabinets (2021), the Bon Bon Ceiling Lamp (2021) and the Kiwi Mirror (2024).

"I am proud to collaborate with NUOVO in exhibiting one of the contemporary designers I admire most, Bethan Laura Wood. Her creations are as diverse as they are vibrant, each a testament to her unique and extraordinary creative talent. I'm thrilled to bring Nilufar back to Hong Kong, as it fosters a valuable exchange of ideas and connections across cultures and nations," Yashar notes.

For Bethan Laura Wood: A Vision Through Nilufar and cc-tapis, the brand which produces contemporary hand-made rug designs, exhibits the Guadalupe collection (2023), which cites the stained-glass windows of the New Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City as inspiration. It is joined by the Kaleidoscope-o-rama collection, the latest result of the creative synergy with Wood, "a symphony of colour and light based on arrays of tessellated pages from Bethan's custom veneer book blocks," as mentioned in the project's press release.

Meanwhile, Daniele Lora, art director at cc-tapis, relays how when the brand began working with Wood in 2018, it aimed to keep exploring her worlds of colour and her experienced understanding of integrating various textures and materials with intense research and experimentation. "[Wood's] physical immersion into different cultures and cityscapes has created a unique personal archive of colour and textures which we have had the chance to explore and apply to rug design. We look forward to discovering Hong Kong's impact on Bethan's creative process," Lora shares.