David Adjaye's "Yaawa" Collection Explores the Materiality of Bronze

Carpenters Workshop Gallery has opened the doors to its new London flagship, which is located in the east wing of Ladbroke Hall in Notting Hill. The huge space span three floors and includes four large exhibition rooms, and hopes to provide a new cultural destination for the city – with a restaurant and gardens slated to open later this year.

To inaugurate the space, the gallery has put on two coinciding solo shows – one presenting David Adjaye‘s latest body of collectible design, and the second focusing on historical pieces by late Brazilian designer Jose Zanine Caldas.

Adjaye’s show, titled Yaawa, includes eight limited-edition objects that are each the result of the architect’s experimentation into bronze, and Adjaye’s goal throughout has been to showcase the metal in a “new light” through a number of different processes.

“The focus on bronze recalls its history on the African continent as a noble material with traditional applications in craft and weaponry,” the gallery says. “[Each piece] aims to expand this lineage, doing so through the creation of a form and technique that also offers utility in space,” adds Adjaye.

The Yaawa collection is on show at Ladbroke Hall from today through June 10, offering visitors the chance to see brand-new works inside the brand-new space. Gallery co-founder Loïc Le Gaillard comments: “As we unveil our new flagship space in London, we are proud to present a new collection by Sir David Adjaye. Yaawa showcases Adjaye’s mastery in manipulating light by experimenting with the surface of the bronze to achieve a unique play with reflection. While David has often incorporated bronze details into his buildings, this is the first time he has exclusively used the metal in his functional sculptures.”

Take a closer look at the collection above, and for more design – check out India Mahdavi’s colorful renovation of a 16th-century Roman villa.