Ralph Pucci's earthy and culture-inspired sculptures become 'Primal Mysteries'

Sculpture studio Ralph Pucci showcases its first in-house collection in over a decade titled Primal Mysteries, at its 2023-established Wynwood gallery in Miami as a part of the art and design event, Art Basel Miami Beach 2024. The new edition of the furniture design and lighting collection takes inspiration from several renowned sculpture artists and painters from history as well as forms of artistic expression intrinsic to various cultures. Comprising table lamps and table designs handcrafted in clay and plaster, Primal Mysteries features casting and hand-finishing techniques that often exhibit a sand-blasted appearance.

Ralph Pucci is showcasing the design exhibition along with Sheila in Technicolor, a photography exhibition by American photographer Marjorie Salvaterra and the works of French designer, architect and artist Patrick Naggar.

The luxury furniture and lighting brand was established in 1954 by Nick and Lee Pucci as a mannequin repairs business that started leaning towards customising mannequins after their son Ralph's encouragement, in collaboration with various artists. When one of their collaborators一French interior designer Andrée Putman一asked Pucci to showcase her designs in the United States, it led Ralph Pucci to begin its furniture division in 1989. Today, Pucci showcases works from artists, lighting designers and furniture designers across the country in its New York, Los Angeles and Miami galleries.

Crafted by the studio's Manhattan-based sculptors, the tactile product designs evoke earthiness and a sculptural quality with its intentionally rough and unfinished surfaces. The furniture designs and lighting designs such as the Occhi lamp design and the Lunar Pendant exhibit simple, organic forms that prioritise function. The Scarp Console and the Scarp Cafe table design are ideal for outdoor use with their monotonous, solid and seemingly heavy form. The Trident Side Table offers a variety of tabletop surfaces to rest on the white, sturdy base. The Giant Visage Light Sculpture, nearly eight feet tall and sculpted in plaster, acts as a statement wall decorative element that can add character to any space.

California-based Salvaterra's Sheila in Technicolor introduces a series of surrealist photographs with saturated and bold visuals that explore women's multi-faceted roles in the modern world. Salvaterra honours her mother with the photography collection, which is an extension of the Sheila series that investigates the difficult lives of women from the previous two generations. "Sheila in Technicolor is my mother in my ear saying, with each black and white series, 'don't you want to add a little colour?'," notes Salvaterra in the project's press release. For her, the collection embodies the experiences of her mother and grandmother and their acceptance of the lives they have led so far.

The studio's collaborator since 1995, French artist Nagger dives into cultures to create distinct and thought-provoking designs. The gallery showcases the Amalfi and Positano chair designs in their latest colours and finishes, along with the new Floral Sconce I and II and Valentine Sconces.

With thoughtful use of earthy and adaptable materials such as clay and plaster, the Primal Mysteries furniture and lighting collection prioritises craftsmanship and underlines human instinct that comes with shaping forms by hand. Ralph Pucci attempts to go back to basics with its new collection by translating cultural influences to create contemporary designs, which makes the pieces seemingly familiar yet distinctly recognisable.

The 'Primal Mysteries' collection is on display at Ralph Pucci's Miami gallery from December 3, 2024.