8 Must-See Highlights From New York City's Collective Design Fair 2015

(Photo : Design & Trend - Meg Busacca )

This year's Collective Design Fair opened its doors on May 13 and presented expertly selected works from influential galleries from around the globe.

The annual fair focuses on gathering a diverse collection of designers, architects, gallerists and collectors to share the latest in design with the effort to facilitate growth within the creative community.

Our editor shares her eight favorite works, ranging from exclusive seating designs to paper sculptures,and  check out our must-see highlights from Collective Design:

1. Daniel Sean Murphy at Egg Collective

The Brooklyn-based design studio Egg Collective displayed paper flower sculptures designed by artist Daniel Sean Murphy. The saturated blue paper objects were placed atop the latest table design from the Morrison Collection and was featured in the Sight Unseen offsite exhibition. 

2. Misha Kahn at Friedman Benda 

New York-based artist Misha Kahn knows how to take functional objects and transform them in unusual ways, specifically with the use of unconventional materials. The artist's wonderland-like mirror designs made of pool inflatables were on display at Friedman Benda's presentation. 

3. Endolith Casts x Dana Barnes

Dana Barnes introduced a new seating series, the Endolith Casts, inspired by the form, palette and materiality of lichen growth. This composite organism is known to grow amongst bare rocks, walls and exposed surfaces susceptible to moisture. Each piece was handmade using spontaneous knotting and shearing techniques to achieve the sculptural and tactile textile aimed represent the evolution of the lichen. 

4. Francois Salem at Twenty First Gallery 

Artist Francois Salem has an impressive portfolio of design experience ranging from fashion to theater. During his travels to the Loire Valley, he discovered a love for ceramics and soon began to receive recognition for his pieces. His sculptural mirror collection was on display at Twenty First Gallery's exhibition and this consists of Totem, Cosmos, X and Y designs. 

5. Olek & Todd Merrill Studio

Todd Merrill Studio and artist OLEK presented four colorful, hand-crocheted Swivel Thrones. The Swivel Thrones, or power chairs, are Todd Merrill custom originals and designed specifically for OLEK to transform and showcase her inspirations from her recent travels to India. The designer collaboration was unlike any other furniture display and showcased both the crochet talent of Olek and structural furnishings talent of Todd Merrill in a surprisingly bold and beautiful way. 

6. Ayala Serfaty at Maison Gerard 

 

Israeli artist and designer Ayala Serfaty finds inspiration from underwater plant and wildlife. Her ongoing lighting sculpture project "Soma" involves combining blown glass and layers of composite objects to represent aquatic forms. Her "Memory 2011" piece from the "Soma" series hung amongst the pieces at the exhibition wall of Maison Gerard. 

7. David Elia of Design da Gema Cafe Installation

Brazilian designer and founder of Design da Gema, David Elia, developed the café installation at this year's fair. The chairs, dining tables and main walls of the café's interior consisted of scattered bullet-like hole detailing. The design direction of Elia's workings serve as a symbol of the May 2014 violent crimes that impacted Rio De Janeiro, resulting in 210 attacks in a single month. It was also very important for Elia to be authentic and true to the nature of design in Brazil by also upcycling and reusing found materials.

8. Jessica Drenk at Wexler Gallery

Artist Jessica Drenk seeks inspiration from the natural world and her inherent desire to acquire knowledge, which result to her creation of found material-made sculptures. Drenk's "Cerebral Mapping" series consists of several wall installations made of thinly cut strips of paper from books that are entwined together and coated with wax. The organic shape and lines represent natural patterns that can be realized in life around us. This particular piece (reflected in the mirror) was displayed at Wexler Gallery's exhibition.