- Art & Design
Together with designer David Horan, Gallery Béton created Brut Paper, an innovative collection of furniture and lighting that puts a historical technique on the modern map. Both are based in London and brought their visions together harmoniously. A contemporary decorator, the designer enlisted handmade Japanese paper to give his material-driven approach the most successful result yet.
David Horan opened his own studio in 2021, approaching each project from the palette. Before determining the geometry of his designs, he experiments extensively with different materials. In the past, he gained experience with designers Faye Toogood and Michael Anastassiades. With Paper, he now presents his first own collection, in collaboration with gallery Béton Brut. Founder Sophie Pearce specialises in European and Japanese design. Her assortment is a collection of furniture that can be understood as a cross-pollination between functional art objects and sculptural forms. Her collaboration with Horan owes inspiration to French traditional craft and the Japanese Mingei movement, among others, but most notably, another item represented by the gallery. That is to say, a goatskin parchment cabinet by Aldo Tura made the designer think about achieving a similar effect with materials. He did so using a technique known as decoupage, a term that refers to decorating objects or furniture with (coloured) paper or cut-out motifs. The layered nature of such pieces makes it a deeply creative process that brings maker and object close together. Another plus is that there is room and appreciation for the imperfections and irregularities that the process might leave behind.
A patient exercise between de- and recomposition of handmade Japanese paper
Paper includes seating, lighting and a coffee table. Several pieces emerged from a patient exercise between de- and recomposition of handmade Japanese paper lacquered in a matt or mirror finish. In doing so, the designer achieved an effect he himself calls vegan vellum, or a material that bears similarities to animal skin yet is vegan. There are also some limited edition designs appropriately named Dragon Skin. Specifically, these are armchairs and a daybed with a rough look. Again, Japanese paper was used for these, but from a very special place. Namely, this is material recovered from the giant dragon figures of the Kagura Dance Theatre. When contemplating his collection, the interaction between short and long distance is especially important to Horan. From afar, the simple lines of the designs first catch the eye, but only up close you see how detailed everything really is. The extensive material process has left beautiful marks and gives the collection a fragile impression. In addition, it is admirable how they generate the effect of animal skins without having to use any animal product. 
Paper has all but stolen its name. Designer David Horan partnered with gallery Béton Brut to make his first solo collection a reality. Driven by the possibilities offered by materials, he turned to the French decoupage tradition to create a paper-like impression. We hope to see more outstanding work from him in the future.
Photography by Genevieve Lutkin and Gareth Hacker
Text by Cara Jacobs