Informed by the French craft traditions of decoupage and Japanese Mingei movement, Horan wraps a series of original works – seating, a coffee table and a screen ‘Paper’ was conceived via rigorous material experimentation in Horan’s London workshop. It was an exercise in de-composition and re-composition, of ripping it up, and starting again. For the ‘Vellum’ coffee table, screen and lounge chairs, Horan experimented with a combination of Kozuki-Mingeshi paper, lacquering itto a mirror finish or sealed matte.
The ‘Dragon Skin’ armchairs and daybed, left raw to the eye, are made from vintage Sekishu, a Unesco-heritage kozo, reclaimed from the giant dragons of Kaguradance-theatre. Horan worked with Mineo Kato from Japan Fine Papers in Hackney to source the washi. From the discards of the dragon’s Orochi-gami skin, remnants are restored piece-by-piece by the workshop of Kajigase Takashi, before Horan takes it through a final metamorphosis.
Part of the London Design Festival 2022.
David Horan (born in Dublin,1982) is a multidisciplinary designer and manufacturer based in London. A Master of Arts in Design Products from the Royal College of Art 2013, he cut his cloth with London-designers Faye Toogood and Michael Anastassiades, before opening his own studio in 2021. David Horan’s practice springs first and foremost from rigorous material research. He approaches each ‘material project’ in his London workshop via sampling and experimentation before geometries evolve. ‘Paper’ is his first solo collection and is exclusive to Béton Brut gallery.
