Refractory Studio Bringing Work to Salon Art + Design in New York City

October 26, 2022  by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

The Holotype series comprises a lounge and dining chair first shared at Alcova - the studio’s international debut during Milan Design Week in the summer of 2022. The 3,000-square-foot installation incorporated mixed media, time-lapse video, sound, a thousand pounds of turmeric, and digitally printed chiffon pieces from a collaborative expression of photographic work. 

On Display at the event will be the Holotype Chair – of solid oak, the Salon Scimitar Table – made of cast bronze and solid oak, and the Heretofore Sconce – a cast bronze vessel, the two of which will be making their debut.

Now in its 11th edition, Salon Art + Design is known for presenting the modern and contemporary designs from all over the world. Each year, the fair curates an ensemble of work that captures the latest in collectible design, leading it to become the platform for exhibiting, experiencing, collecting, and discussing design and art.

Angie West, co-founder of Refractory, offered, “It is an honor to be presenting our work alongside such trail-blazing galleries, artists, and studios from around the world. This quiet corner space in the Armory that we will occupy for a week will be such a gift to us and our evolution as a studio, and we are grateful and humbled by the opportunity.”

West continued, “We experienced such a meaningful connection with thousands of visitors at Alcova in Milan this summer and hope to bridge that experience here at home. It will be an understated and straightforward expression of our work.”

Born from the spirit of the frontier, and at times more specifically the American West, Refractory is the offering of two design industry veterans - Angie West and Alberto Vélez. The brand softly launched its inaugural 40+ piece series in the Fall of 2021, while adding new works throughout 2022.

Their portfolio includes one-of-a-kind offerings of consoles, dining tables, occasional tables, benches, lighting, and objects rendered from cast bronze, cast glass, solid black walnut, white oak and cast resin.

The Refractory atelier and West Supply offer artisans and master craftspeople a space to experiment and create alongside other masters of craft – and be the magic behind some of the world's most enduring works in these materialities.