@collectiblefair has quickly become the premier breeding ground for emerging designers in New York, a place for newer talent to carve out their own path and make a name in the industry. And so it’s only natural that one of our favorite exhibitions,
@theobjectboutique , has emerged from this environment, a designer-led exhibition organized by Yuxuan Huang (
@yuxuan_huang__ ) and Mimi He (
@mimi_objects ), two emerging designers who understand firsthand the challenges of breaking into the field.
After meeting at Collectible last year and discovering their shared passion for amplifying independent voices, they decided to create their own platform rather than waiting for institutional support or gallery representation.
The idea behind The Object Boutique is simple but powerful: create a walk-in, shopping-like environment that invites slow looking and close engagement with form and material. As they put it, the inspiration came from the experience of shopping in a boutique, where all five senses come into play and you notice details like textures that photographs can never capture.
Bringing together fifteen emerging and mid-career artists and designers from across North America, the exhibition centers around the question “What does fragility mean to you?” The responses reveal an impressive range of contemporary craft practice that spans traditional techniques and experimental material exploration.
The vessel collection showcases diverse approaches to the theme, from
@magpie_m ’s wood and porcelain amphora to
@sam_indaman ’s hemp fiber constructions.
@lisasaccodesign ’s blown glass vessel creates striking tension by resting atop broken shards, while
@monicacuriel.art transforms construction materials into forms honoring immigrant labor, all unified by artists who pushed themselves beyond their comfort zones.
The Object Boutique captures what we love about Collectible and design as a whole: the opportunity for artists to take control of their own narratives while fostering genuine community.
Read our full conversation with Yuxuan and Mimi through the link in our bio to discover what it really takes to mount an artist-led exhibition.
📸:
@matthewgordonstudio
