Adam Nathaniel Furman
Adam Nathaniel Furman | |
---|---|
Born | November 1982 Paddington, London, England |
Alma mater | Architectural Association |
Partner | Marco Ginex |
Website | www |
Adam Nathaniel Furman (born November 1982) is a British artist, designer, writer, and academic. Furman specialises in work that is characterised by bright colours, bold patterns and ornaments. They[1] coined the term New London Fabulous.
Early life
Furman was born at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington[2] to an Argentine father and a German-Japanese mother, both Jewish,[3] and raised in North London near Finchley Road.[4] Furman attended Highgate School.[5]
In 2001, Furman enrolled in a foundation course at Central Saint Martins.[6] They went on to study at the Architectural Association (AA), graduating in 2008. This was followed by further graduate studies at the AA.[7]
Career
Furman became co-director of the AA's research group Saturated Space and opened Madam Studio. In 2013, they were invited to join the
Named as one of the Architecture Foundations 'New Architects' in 2016,[11] Furman was also named a rising star of 2017 by The Observer[citation needed] as well as a new talent by Metropolis, who described them as "a master of surface and ornamentation" who relies on their "own imagination rather than trends for inspiration".[12] That year, Furman co-authored Revisiting Postmodernism with Terry Farrell, and was commissioned to design a futuristic town hall concept called Democratic Monument for Architecture Fringe.
Furman was named a 2019 FX Product Designer of the Year. In 2021, Furman had a sixth-month residency at King's Cross, where they installed the Proud Little Pyramid for Pride Month.
Furman co-edited the 2022 anthology Queer Spaces with Joshua Mardell,[13] which includes pieces from contributors on domestic, communal, and public spaces where LGBT+ individuals have found safety and solidarity over the decades.[14] As of 2023, Furman is in the process of creating a 57-meter-long mosaic mural titled A Thousand Streams on a wall outside London Bridge station with the London School of Mosaic,[15] as well as ceramic tile colonnades for the new Enclave tower in Croydon.[16]
Artistry
At a young age, Furman was inspired by the tiles and mosaics they saw in London Underground stations, particularly Eduardo Paolozzi's mosaics in the old Tottenham Court Road station.[4]
In an interview about Democratic Monument, Furman stated "In great contrast to the rest of our cultural output, our physical environment is crushingly uniform."[18]
In 2020, Furman coined the term New London Fabulous (NLF) to refer to a group of London-based artists and designers who reject "monochromatic minimalism"[19] in favour of "kaleidoscopic" colours, ornament, and geometry.[20] NLF also places emphasis on creating public spaces that represent and celebrate the city's local communities and cultures. Notable NLF figures include Yinka Ilori, Camille Walala, and Morag Myerscough.[21]
Personal life
Furman has their studio and lives in Belsize Park with their long-term partner Marco Ginex. They have dyslexia.[4]
Selected works
Public art and spaces
- The Roman Singularity (2014, 2017), ceramic sculptures made in Rome, later displayed at the Soane Museum
- Gateways (2017), installation in Granary Square
- Look Down to Look Up (2018), street crossing patterns for Croydon Council
- Pontoon and the Paddington Pyramid (2019), at Paddington Central
- Boudoir Babylon (2020), installation for the National Gallery of Victoria's Triennal
- Proud Little Pyramid (2021), installation at King's Cross for London Pride
- Babs Baldachino (2023), monument for the Birmingham Fierce Festival
- Cassata Pavilion (2023), sculpture at the Plastikgarten in Leipzig
- A Thousand Streams (2024), mosaic mural at London Bridge Station
Collections
- Baalbak, Chess and Phoenician, porcelain and glassware for Beit Collection
- Beiruti, Lisa and Noor, weaved chairs for Beit Collective
- Capricciosa and Mediterranean, rugs for Floor Story
- Chomp and Lounge Hog!, laminated furniture for De Rosso
- Glowbules, glass lights for Curiousa
- MySplash, home items for Mirrl
- New Town, tiles for Bottega Nove
- Petalfall, ceramics with Hiroyuki Onuki
- Princex, ceramics for Nuoveforme
Other
- Sculptures for ITV animation
- Democratic Monument (2017), maximalist town hall concept for Architecture Fringe
- Architectural Icons (originally Postmodern Icons, 2022–), illustrations of famous buildings
Bibliography
- Revisiting Postmodernism (2017) (co-author with Terry Farrell)
- Queer Spaces (2022) (co-editor with Joshua Mardell)
References
- ^ Fox, Tal (30 June 2021). "A little pyramid that's big on joyfulness". The JC. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ "Find out about our new Amphitheatre". Paddington Central. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ Riba, Naama (4 February 2020). "This Designer Is Waging a Bold War Against a Monochrome World". Haaretz. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ a b c Robertson, Rory (5 November 2021). "What Adam Nathaniel Furman designed next". Financial Times. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ Tolhurst, Sophie (16 April 2020). "Profile: Adam Nathaniel Furman". Design Curial. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ Olley, Cat (28 July 2023). "Adam Nathaniel Furman on colour, classicism and his new collection for Floor Story". Elle Decoration. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ "AA alumnus Adam Nathaniel Furman featured in Dezeen coverage on 'New London Fabulous'". Architectural Association. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ Andrews, Kate (21 September 2013). "Identity Parade by Adam Nathaniel Furman". Dezeen. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ "Rome Prize for Architecture 2014 awarded to Adam Nathaniel Furman". The Architectural Review. Retrieved 12 June 2023.(subscription required)
- ^ Ray, Debika (29 November 2017). "Adam Nathaniel Furman Condenses Rome's Architectural Wonders into Vibrant Ceramics". Metropolis. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
- ^ Taylor-Foster, James. "New Talent 2017: Adam Nathaniel Furman's Electric Approach to Postmodernism". Metropolis. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
- ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
- ^ Chan, TF (6 October 2022). "Adam Nathaniel Furman on how queer spaces have shaken up the architectural canon". Wallpaper. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
- ^ Barker, Sam (6 April 2023). "A Huge New Mosaic Mural Will Slowly Be Built In London Over The Next Year". Secret London. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ O'Connor, Tara (7 March 2023). "Croydon's newest tallest building update". Your Local Guardian. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ Click Your Heels Together Three Times by Adam Nathaniel FurmanCanary Wharf Art Trail. Canary Wharf Group. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ Block, India (29 May 2020). "Adam Nathaniel Furman's Democratic Monument is a colourful concept for town halls". Dezeen. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ Ray, Debika (7 October 2020). "From the British Melting Pot, "New London Fabulous" Emerges". Metropolis. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ Fairs, Marcus (26 May 2020). "Colourful "New London Fabulous" design movement is challenging minimalism, says Adam Nathaniel Furman". Dezeen. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
- ^ Dowdy, Clare (28 March 2020). "Design's new happy mood". BBC Culture. Retrieved 19 June 2023.