One to Watch - Alexander White
Alexander White graduated in 3D design and now creates thought-provoking furniture with a language of its own
Words by Chloe Pelas
Who
Alexander White completed a degree in 3D design at Falmouth University in 2010. Now he creates thought-provoking furniture with a language of its own. He says: ‘Craft is essential, but predominantly a means to an end.’ Best known for his Monroe chair, which has recently attracted attention in New York, White has won multiple awards. He was awarded the A’ Design Awards gold medal in 2012 and was shortlisted for Homes & Gardens young designer of the year.
Why
White founded his business in 2012. ‘I’ve always had the impulse to work for myself, to do my own thing,’ he adds. It seems time working with Paul Cocksedge played a part in it, too. ‘An opportunity for a shared studio space appeared, an opportunity I couldn’t resist and its a space I still occupy today,’ White explains. He launched his collection Kinky, a range of hand-bent steel tube furniture, and Versa, a tessellating tile that puts grout on the main stage with an infinitely customisable pattern, at the London Design Fair in 2017.
What
Flow: Flow is a public-seating project created for Walthamstow Council and installed at the lower end of Walthamstow High Street. Placed by a crossroad at the busy gateway to the high street and inspired by the nearby wetlands, it’s a contemporary addition to a refurbished traditional architectural backdrop.
Versa: A tile that transforms the grout inbetween into a focal point, Versa uses plain or coloured grout as a graphic pattern to create an infinitely customisable tile. Born out of White’s collaboration with sculptor Rowan Vyvyan and ceramic designer Ines Suarez De Puga, the tiles are made in Stoke-on-Trent.
Kinky: Made from a single length of steel tubing, the furniture in this range is created using a home-made contraption enabling the intermittent crushing of the structural integrity of the metal, allowing it to be hand-bent and looped back on itself to join the two ends.
Where
www.awhiteworkshop.com
