Chris Wolston

Chris Wolston is an American artist and designer based in Brooklyn, New York and Medellín, Colombia. His thoughtfully conceptualized and deliberately fabricated work -- which ranges from furniture and lighting to installation and sculpture -- rigorously blends traditional techniques and materials with a wry, contemporary realism, arriving at an entirely original postmodern aesthetic, imbued with material fluency and environmental urgency. Wolston’s interest in non-Western art-making traditions originated at the Kokrobitey Institute, in Accra, Ghana, where he studied before receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2009 from the Rhode Island School of Design. He later earned a Fulbright grant to study pre-Columbian ceramics in Colombia. Invigorated by his exposure, Wolston opened a second studio in Medellín to continue his collaboration with local artisans. His work can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of American Glass, The Museo de Antioquia in Medellín, Colombia, the National Museum of Qatar, the Odunpazarı Modern Müze (OMM) in Turkey and the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne. He was recently profiled in T Magazine, Architectural Digest, Galerie, Elle Decor Italia, Domino, and Surface Magazine. He has created work for such brands as Fendi, Dior, and Philip Lim.
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Wolston’s interest in non-Western art-making traditions originated at the Kokrobitey Institute, in Accra, Ghana, where he studied before receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2009 from the Rhode Island School of Design. He later earned a Fulbright grant to study pre-Columbian ceramics inColombia. Invigorated by his exposure, Wolston opened a second studio in Medellín to continue his collaboration with local artisans and materials.

His work can be found in the permanent collections of the Museum of American Glass, The Museo de Antioquia in Medellín, Colombia, and the National Museum of Qatar. He was recently profiled in T Magazine, Architectural Digest, Galerie, Elle Decor Italia, Domino, and Surface Magazine.

He has created work for such brands as Fendi, Dior, and Philip Lim.

"After studying non-Western creative techniques in Ghana, Chris Wolston was awarded a Fulbright grant to fine-tune his craft in Colombia—a move that strongly influenced his artistic trajectory. The fresh-faced furniture designer, who splits time between studios in New York City and Medellin, now blends time-honored South American craftsmanship with his own brand of postmodern irreverence to mastermind highly detailed pieces that delight, confound, and always have us eagerly awaiting his next move."
-Ryan Waddoups, Surface Magazine

"Chris Wolston does not like to limit himself to one material. The Artist, who divides his time between Brooklyn and Medellin, Colombia, more commonly uses aluminum and terracotta or wicker in his work.... Wolston has anthropomorphised his pieces -- heads of chairs sprouting with cacti and armrests that wave at you."
-Tom Morris, New Wave Clay

"Like many artists before him, Chris Wolston has found plenty of inspiration in the great outdoors—stretching all the way back to his childhood in Providence, Rhode Island. “I’m a twin, and my twin and I were pretty different growing up. I had a little garden in my parents’ backyard, and when my brother would go play soccer on the weekends, I would stay home and work on my plants,” he says, laughing. “I wanted to be a landscape architect.”

Wolston’s career aspirations, however, transformed over time when he started working with materials a little more permanent than perennials. His collection for The Future Perfect is flush with “foliage”—made of aluminum, terracotta, and wicker. He is quickly becoming one of the most exciting furniture designers around, blurring the boundaries between outside and in, realism and fantasy, contemporary and pre-Columbian."
-Rebecca Deczynski, Domino Magazine.


 
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Commissions

Chris Wolston is versed in many production methods such as Sand Cast Aluminum, Laser Cut and hand worked Anodized Aluminum, Anodized Shear cut Aluminum, and Rattan, to name a few. In addition Chris Wolston is formally trained as a glass blower and ceramicist. The downloadable PDF is to describe these methods so as to inspire future works and collaborations. He is of course excited to and welcomes the idea of working in new ways. If you have an alternative material or process to propose for Chris please let us know. The below gallery of images shows previous examples of commissioned work.

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EXHIBITIONS

MIAMI

Design Miami/ 2019

For Design Miami 2019, The Future Perfect recreated the gallery’s singular point of view in a booth that emphasized materiality - both natural and quixotic; experimental process; and a sense of the sublime. The booth -  designed with cool neutral walls and natural fiber flooring - set the stage for the gallery’s roster of collectible artists.
MIAMI

Design Miami/ 2019

For Design Miami 2019, The Future Perfect recreated the gallery’s singular point of view in a booth that emphasized materiality - both natural and quixotic; experimental process; and a sense of the sublime. The booth -  designed with cool neutral walls and natural fiber flooring - set the stage for the gallery’s roster of collectible artists.
New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco

MESS: Expressionism and Experimentation in Contemporary Ceramics

The Future Perfect is pleased to present MESS, a group show of ceramic works by 32 international artists across 3 locations in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.
New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco

MESS: Expressionism and Experimentation in Contemporary Ceramics

The Future Perfect is pleased to present MESS, a group show of ceramic works by 32 international artists across 3 locations in Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.
LOS ANGELES

Forbidden Fruit

The Future Perfect is pleased to present an exhibition by Chris Wolston at Casa Perfect Los Angeles. Wolston has expanded on his celebrated Lost in Paradise collection with chairs, tables, mirrors, and lamps. Like earlier collections, the work has a puzzle-like feel featuring a constellation of intricate motifs that come together to create an exuberant visual impact.
LOS ANGELES

Forbidden Fruit

The Future Perfect is pleased to present an exhibition by Chris Wolston at Casa Perfect Los Angeles. Wolston has expanded on his celebrated Lost in Paradise collection with chairs, tables, mirrors, and lamps. Like earlier collections, the work has a puzzle-like feel featuring a constellation of intricate motifs that come together to create an exuberant visual impact.
MIAMI

DESIGN MIAMI/ 2018

For this year’s Design Miami, The Future Perfect once again dropped anchor in Florida with some of the most exciting names in collectible American design in tow.
MIAMI

DESIGN MIAMI/ 2018

For this year’s Design Miami, The Future Perfect once again dropped anchor in Florida with some of the most exciting names in collectible American design in tow.
BASEL

Design Miami/ Basel 2018

After three successful years showing at Design Miami/Art Basel Miami Beach, the Future Perfect debuted in Basel, Switzerland, with an ultra-successful design showcase featuring many of the most buzzed-about names in American design, many connected by their unique relationship and loyalty to their chosen material.
BASEL

Design Miami/ Basel 2018

After three successful years showing at Design Miami/Art Basel Miami Beach, the Future Perfect debuted in Basel, Switzerland, with an ultra-successful design showcase featuring many of the most buzzed-about names in American design, many connected by their unique relationship and loyalty to their chosen material.
NEW YORK

Lost in Paradise

For New York Design Week 2018, The Future Perfect presented two solo shows—each new work, each from a distinct voice—in one location. Chris Wolston showed a new collection of anodized and sand-cast aluminum furniture, exclusively made for The Future Perfect.
NEW YORK

Lost in Paradise

For New York Design Week 2018, The Future Perfect presented two solo shows—each new work, each from a distinct voice—in one location. Chris Wolston showed a new collection of anodized and sand-cast aluminum furniture, exclusively made for The Future Perfect.
MIAMI

DESIGN MIAMI/ 2017

For Design Miami 2017, The Future Perfect has presented a small group of process driven designers and artists who create work based on their unique relationship with, and fidelity to, their chosen material.

MIAMI

DESIGN MIAMI/ 2017

For Design Miami 2017, The Future Perfect has presented a small group of process driven designers and artists who create work based on their unique relationship with, and fidelity to, their chosen material.

THE PRESENT TENSE

The Present Tense
ON VIEW

New York Design Week 2018: Charles de Lisle & Chris Wolston

For New York’s design week, The Future Perfect’s Manhattan gallery space was transformed as an exuberant showcase for the new work of Colombia based artisan and furniture maker Chris Wolston and the debut of an extensive new lighting series by Charles de Lisle, produced exclusively by The Future Perfect.
The Present Tense
ON VIEW

New York Design Week 2018: Charles de Lisle & Chris Wolston

For New York’s design week, The Future Perfect’s Manhattan gallery space was transformed as an exuberant showcase for the new work of Colombia based artisan and furniture maker Chris Wolston and the debut of an extensive new lighting series by Charles de Lisle, produced exclusively by The Future Perfect.

C.V.

Education

2013   Fulbright Research Fellow, University of Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia

2009   BFA – Glass, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI

2008   Kokrobitey Institute, Accra, Ghana

2005   The Wheeler School, Providence, RI

Exhibitions

2021   “Temperature’s Rising” –  The Future Perfect, Los Angeles, CA

2020   “Hola Aspen” – AGO Projects, Aspen, CO

2020   “Qatar Creates” – National Museum of Qatar, Doha, Qatar

2020   “King Dogs Never Grow Old” – Dianne Rosenstein Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2019   “Design Miami” – The Future Perfect, Miami, FL

2019   “Chairs Beyond Right & Wrong” – R & Company, New York, NY

2019   “Forbidden Fruit” – The Future Perfect, Los Angeles, CA

2019   “The Chair” – The Future Perfect, New York, NY

2019   “Neotenic Design” –  A/D/O, Brooklyn, NY

2018   “Fendi Peekaboo 10-Year Anniversary” – Fendi, Miami, FL

2018   “Design Miami” – The Future Perfect, Miami, FL

2018   “The Ashtray Show” – Fisher Parrish Gallery, New York, NY

2018   “Design Miami/Basel” – The Future Perfect, Basel, Switzerland

2018   “Lost in Paradise” – The Future Perfect, New York, NY

2017   “Design Miami” – The Future Perfect, Miami, FL

2017   “Design Miami” – Patrick Parrish Gallery, Miami, FL

2017   “The Paperweight Show” – Fisher Parrish Gallery, New York, NY

2017   “Garden Party” – Patrick Parrish Gallery, New York, NY

2017   “Our Flag” – R & Company, New York, NY

2016   “Design Miami” – Patrick Parrish Gallery, Miami, FL

2016   “Bongo Bongo” – Hand Job Gallery, New York, NY

2016   “Collective Design” – The Future Perfect, New York, NY

2016   “The Lamp Show” – 99¢ Plus, New York, NY

2015   “Jonald Dudd” – City Bird Gallery, New York, NY

2015   “Burning Down the House” – OFFSITE, New York, NY

2015   “Creativity Ascertained” – Museum of American Glass, NJ, USA

2015   “Work Release” – Aglow, Norfolk, VA

2014   “El Barro Tiene Voz” – Museo de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia

2014   “Dream Motel” – OFFSITE, New York, NY

2014   “NJ350: Through the Lens of Glass” – Museum of American Glass, NJ, USA

2014   “Mediations I” – Paul Bardwell Contemporary Gallery, Medellín, Colombia

2014   “Strange Commonplace” – Plecto Gallery, Medellín, Colombia

2013  “Wax, Wane” – Palacio de la Cultura, Medellín, Colombia

2013   “Bailata Queer” – 43rd (Inter) National Salon of Artists, Medellín, Colombia

2013   “Hope/Angell” – Chazan Gallery, Providence, RI

2013   “You Can Dig a Hole in the Air” – Centro Cultural de la Facultad de Artes, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia

2013   “NOHO Next” – Hotel Ahn Nam, New York, NY

2013   “Launching of Espiga Curatorial Project” – Plazarte, Medellín, Colombia

2012   “The House is Set in its Own Park” – Plazarte, Medellin, Colombia

2011   “Cherry Blossom Live Event by Jocelyne Prince” – K-ARTS, Seoul, South Korea

2011   “Jell-O Mold Competition” – The Gowanus Studio Space, Brooklyn, NY

2010   “Sonata de Verre” – Glass Art Association of Canada (GAAC) Conference, Montreal, Canada

2010   “Vaginal Davis is Speaking From the Diaphragm” – PS122, New York, NY

2010   “RISD Glass Department Triennial” – Woods Gerry Gallery, Providence, RI

2009   “Cirque de Verre” – Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, OH

2009   “Cirque de Verre” – Goggle Works Center for the Arts, Reading, PA

2009   “Cabin Fever 2300°” – Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY

Awards & Residencies

2019  HotelTonight & Sight Unseen Design Residency, New Orleans, LA

2018  Visiting Artist Fellowship – Urban Glass, Brooklyn, NY

2018  Havana Design Workshop, Havana, Cuba

2015  “The American Design Hot List”

2014  “Methods of Production in Colombian Material Culture” Fulbright Research Fellow, Colombia

2013  “New Glass Review 34, Jurors’ Choice Selection” – The Corning Museum of Glass, USA

2012  Creative Glass Center of America Fellow, Millville, NJ

2012  Artist in Residence, Campos de Gutiérrez, Medellin, Colombia

2007  “Experimental Work with Hot Glass” Haystack School of Craft, Deer Isle, ME

Teaching, Lectures, Juries

2020   Guest Lecturer, College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI

2020   Guest Critic, College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI

2020   Guest Critic, Rhode Island School of Design Furniture Department final reviews, Providence, RI

2020   Guest Critic, Rhode Island School of Design Furniture Department midterm reviews, Providence, RI

2019   Guest Critic, Rhode Island School of Design Furniture Department final reviews, Providence, RI

2018   Teacher, Hot Casting And Neon Workshop, Urban Glass, Brooklyn, NY

2018   Visiting Artist, Havana Design Workshop, Havana, Cuba

2017   Panelis, Contemporary Ceramics and Process, Artsy, New York, NY

2016   Visiting Artist, Rhode Island School of Design, Glass Department