Until January 27, 2024, the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Los Angeles is exhibiting the concrete seating of French designer Martin Laforêt. Intrigued, Acumen wanted to know more about the designer's world but also, and above all, what lies behind the design of his sculptures, sometimes functional, sometimes unusual. 

At just 31 years old, Martin Laforêt has all the makings of a great designer. A graduate of the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2015, the young man has developed a genuine passion for craftsmanship through his experience. Proof of this lies in his masterful reinterpretation of the talking chair – a piece of carved wooden furniture originating from Africa. 

“My work is an attempt to bring out the specific personality of materials and to produce original forms. I seek a personal expression often inspired by my current interest in forms and combinations of materials. I like objects related to the fields of sculpture, industry, and architecture.”, the designer affirms.

An experiment with matter 

Because if there's one material Martin is particularly fond of, it's concrete. This explains his first collection, "The Mould Objects." Composed of concrete, aluminum, and steel rebar, each mold used in the design process is an integral part of the furniture pieces. Martin Laforêt drew inspiration for this from the prefabricated concrete blocks commonly used on construction sites. 

In his work, the designer demonstrates a particular affinity for forms, certainly, but also for colors. As evidenced by the seat V1LC7 Pink where Martin managed to give the concrete a less stark appearance. This building material is now transformed into a functional work of art. The young man nevertheless left the metal structure visible on the reverse side, flawless at first glance, so as not to forget the influences that shaped it. 

Through his first solo exhibition at the Carpenters Workshop Gallery in Los Angeles, Martin Laforêt demonstrates that concrete can also be sexy. 

Carpenters Workshop Gallery

7070 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California (USA) 

Carpentersworkshopgallery.com/artists/martin-laforet

Marine Mimouni