Rio Kobayashi creates furniture from redwood offcuts for Blunk Space exhibition

Designer Rio Kobayashi used salvaged wood to craft furniture and sculptures that are on display alongside works by American painter Fritz Rauh as part of an exhibition at California gallery Blunk Space.

The exhibition, titled Rio Kobayashi & Fritz Rauh, presents a series of objects made by the London-based designer during a 2024 residency at the Blunk House, the former home of the late artist JB Blunk.

Kobayashi's designs are being shown together with paintings and works on paper by Fritz Rauh, a midcentury artist and friend of Blunk's who lived nearby in Marin County.

The designer was invited to participate in the residency by his friend Mariah Nielson, who is Blunk's daughter and the director of the gallery and the JB Blunk Estate.

Kobayashi has worked at the house on previous occasions and explained that this particular project was developed around a supply of salvaged redwood sourced from local sawyer Evan Shively.

The wood is used in its unfinished form, with waney edges and organic shapes contributing to designs that echo the natural imagery referenced in Rauh's densely patterned paintings.

"I created my work in my own way but also responded to [Rauh's] paintings to create a sense of connection between the pieces," Kobayashi told Dezeen.

"Since time was limited, I didn't overthink," he added. "I just focused on making sure the pieces came together in time."

The first piece that Kobayashi produced was a chair made from offcuts found in the Blunk House's workshop space. He then added a stool, bench, tables and a sculpture, all designed to celebrate the timber's existing characteristics.

"Some of the wood already had holes in it, which I found interesting, so I played with that idea," he explained. "I wanted to add details that would tie all the pieces together, making them feel like part of the same family."

As well as adding small holes to the furniture, Kobayashi introduced subtle coloured elements that create a painterly effect and highlight some of the key features.

"I've used colour in my past work, and Fritz's paintings have such strong, energetic colours that I wanted to reflect that in my pieces," the designer pointed out.

"Some of them feature gradients – almost like little windows of colour – both as a nod to his paintings and to encourage people to discover subtle details in the furniture."

Each object was developed spontaneously in response to the existing wood offcuts and was led by the making process without any set outcome in mind.

Kobayashi explained that the wood used for the mortise joints on the underside of the bench began to resemble a face as he worked with it, so he added nostril holes to create a playful detail.

The chair almost had a backrest but the designer felt it looked better without it, so he removed it, while the small sculpture was originally meant to be a structural element for the furniture but evolved naturally into a form that recalls Blunk's artworks.

The exhibition, which is on show until 1 March 2025, aligns with Mariah Nielson's mission to use Blunk Space as a platform to increase awareness of her father's legacy by inviting contemporary artists and designers to engage with the estate's archive and his iconic home.

The presentation of Kobayashi's furniture and Rauh's paintings speaks to the past and the present, with the works united by a dedication to craft and composition that is redolent of Blunk's own approach.

"Because Fritz and my father were close friends, and often traded artworks, I grew up with Fritz's paintings in our home and always enjoyed the mesmerising quality of his colours and fine marks," said Nielson.

"When I met Rio and saw the beautiful furniture he was making with such detail, colour and care, I immediately thought of Fritz's paintings and wanted to bring their work together."

Nielson founded Blunk Space in 2021 as a space to exhibit works by her father, as well as his artist friends and contemporary practitioners.

The gallery has showcased work by leading names such as Ilse Crawford, Jasper Morrision, Jochen Holz, Martino Gamper and Bethan Laura Wood, all of whom contributed to an exhibition of hooks created by over 100 designers and studios.

In 2024, a retrospective exhibition of Blunk's work was held at The Fondation d'Entreprise Martell in Cognac, France, with more than 150 pieces displayed, including sculptural works, ceramics, furniture, paintings, sketches and photographs.

Kobayashi founded his London-based practice in 2017 after working for international studios in Milan, Berlin, Innsbruck and Paris.

His work is influenced by his multicultural background and is strongly focused on making, with each project driven by materials and craft techniques.

Kobayashi's first solo exhibition at London Design Festival 2023 featured several of his signature playful designs, including a multi-coloured sofa and a dining table with a tuna fish painted on top. He has also collaborated with engineering firm Webb Yates on a wooden pavilion made from standardised elements.

The photography is by Chris Grunder. 

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