Chris Wolston

Chris Wolston is an American artist and designer based in 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.
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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 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 and materials.

His work can be found in the permanent collections of the Denver Art Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia, the Odunpazari Modern Museum, Turkey, the Museum of American Glass, The Museo de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia, and the National Museum of Qatar. He has been profiled in T Magazine, Art in America, Architectural Digest, Galerie, Le Monde Magazine, Elle Decor Italia, Domino, Surface Magazine, and many others. He has collaborated with brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, and Philip Lim.
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Selected Exhibitions

Lost in Paradise Exhibition

Lost in Paradise

Chris Wolston
May 17 - June 30, 2018
Forbidden Fruit Exhibition

Forbidden Fruit

Chris Wolston
July 11 - August 1, 2019
Chris Wolston at the Hotel Bel-Air Exhibition

Chris Wolston at the Hotel Bel-Air

Chris Wolston
October 25 - November 30, 2023
Flower Power Exhibition

Flower Power

Chris Wolston
May 17 - June 30, 2023
Temperature’s Rising Exhibition

Temperature’s Rising

Chris Wolston
October 31 - December 23, 2021
Mess: Expressionism and Experimentation in Contemporary Ceramics Exhibition

Mess: Expressionism and Experimentation in Contemporary Ceramics

November 7, 2019 - January 1, 2020

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. The below gallery of images shows previous examples of commissioned work.

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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

2024  “Design Miami Los Angeles” – The Future Perfect, Los Angeles, CA

2023  “Design Miami” – The Future Perfect, Miami, FL

2023  “Chris Wolston at the Hotel Bel-Air” – Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles, CA

2023  “Flower Power” – The Future Perfect, New York, NY

2022  “Design Miami” – The Future Perfect, Miami, FL

2022  “Launch of the Goldwyn House” – The Future Perfect, Los Angeles, CA

2022  “Salon Art + Design” – The Future Perfect, New York, NY

2021  “Design Miami” – The Future Perfect, Miami, FL

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  “Mess” – The Future Perfect New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco
2019  “Launch of Casa Perfect” – The Future Perfect, New York, NY

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