Rhinoceros gallery x Galerie kreo unfurl expressive gestures with 'Profili e Gesti'

The rhinoceros gallery in Rome, a contemporary art space led by Alessia Caruso Fendi, is set to unveil the next phase of its collaboration with Galerie kreo, with the show Profili e Gesti. From March 21 – August 31, 2025 (and a press preview on March 19), the design exhibition will showcase works by four contemporary designers: Pierre Charpin, Jaime Hayon, Jean-Baptiste Fastrez and Chris Kabel.

This second partnership between kreo and rhinoceros (following a monographic exhibition featuring art and design objects by French artist and designer Ronan Bouroullec last year) presents designers whose creative practices engage with material experimentation, craftsmanship and artistic expression, each through their own unique approach. "Through a dynamic interplay of forms, profiles and gestures, the exhibition highlights how design shapes space, movement and perception," mentions the show's press release shared by kreo and rhinoceros.

Galerie kreo, renowned as one of the world's leading design galleries, prides itself on being a true 'research laboratory' specialising in limited-edition contemporary design pieces commissioned exclusively from some of the world's top designers.

"I'm proud to collaborate once again with the 'kreo world' to bring the works of four exceptional designers to Rome. This second edition of our pop-up reaffirms the inseparable fusion between design and art. Through the unique perspectives [Profili] of these artist-designers, creativity takes shape in expressive gestures [Gesti]. Their work blurs boundaries, where form follows not just function, but the power of a poetic sign that mirrors both our inner and outer worlds," notes Alessia Caruso Fendi, director of rhinoceros gallery.

Spanish designer and artist Jaime Hayon invites visitors into a world where imaginary figures and vernacular influences collide. His Atelier Wonderland series showcases ceramic vases and chandeliers adorned with hand-painted faces, where deep reds and rich greens evoke the warmth of the South. Complementing these are large, glossy white porcelain vases decorated with small mosaic tiles from Bisazza.

The tiles, cut and placed by hand, embellish the vases' silhouettes—sometimes sleek and slender, other times round and generous—crowned with a 'hat' or small head, and a wide band of mosaics. These mosaics feature whimsical characters from the imagination: stylised birds, expressive faces, geometric patterns, golden arabesques and bold red hearts. As the press release states, "These elements come together in a style that is both sophisticated and playful."

For Profili e Gesti, Jean-Baptiste Fastrez, a French designer working across objects and spaces, presents mirrors encased in thick corduroy fabric, bringing together soft, tactile surfaces and reflective glass. The contrast imbues them with a sculptural quality—at once solid and fluid, static yet suggestive of movement.

Paris-based visual artist and designer Pierre Charpin's contribution to the show focuses on abstract drawings, which explore texture, depth and formal associations. These compositions invite contemplative engagement with lines, shading and balance, revealing Charpin's sensitivity to gesture as trace and form as rhythm. His exploration of geometry and colour extends into his Translation Triangolo coffee table, crafted from blue-azure and glossy white enamelled lava stone.

Chris Kabel's furniture design piece called Wood Ring takes a radical approach to construction. This circular bench by the Dutch designer, made from a single tree trunk, is sliced into uniform segments that align with the natural grain of the wood, "transform[ing] raw material into precise structure", the press release notes. Held together by a simple metal ring—without glue or screws—the bench embodies 'cohesion' in both its makings and its ability to conceive a communal space.

"Set in the heart of Rome, rhinoceros gallery provides a stunning backdrop that enriches the dialogue between Galerie kreo's innovative vision and its own distinctive curatorial approach," the press release continues.