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Design

How SIZED Is Setting the Los Angeles Design World Apart

When it launched its first edition in June 2021, the Los Angeles design world was a tizzy. “It feels like something truly special for the LA design scene,” a prominent fellow editor told me and advised I make it a stop while in town. Curated by creative director Alexander May, SIZED is a platform for art and design that brings creative communities together through exhibitions at its new permanent space in Hollywood. Today, the studio announced its roster of participating artists for the second iteration, titled “SIZED: VESSELS,” which opens on February 16.

The show will present more than 200 containers of all kinds by international design legends like Gaetano Pesce and Los Angeles favorites like Kelly Wearstler, Cactus Store and Commune Design, and will also include a site-specific Ikebana installation by SŌGETSU Los Angeles director Ravi GuneWardena and deputy director Tory J. Lowitz, which opens the vessels’ purpose up to ritual. In collaboration with the new Paris-based platform Concept, opening this month, ten works will be released as NFTs to be enjoyed in the digital space as well. Ahead of its launch, Cultured reveals the artist list and spoke with May about the studio’s origin, its new love affair with floral art and creating a global exhibition in a pandemic.

man standing in empty gallery
Alexander May at SIZED.STUDIO in Hollywood. Photography by Sean Davidson.

Elizabeth Fazzare: How was SIZED ideated? And why did you choose Los Angeles as the venue?

Alexander May: SIZED was born in reference to our connection to design within the home, in part due to the pandemic. I have a curatorial background and with this renewed focus on the objects we live with, wanted to find a way to bring together artists and designers in dialogue with one another—opening conversation around what we consider design to be today.

I’ve lived in LA before but moved back here during the pandemic from Milan and felt there was room for a collective experience in the city, weaving together talents both local and international. It’s been humbling to see the community’s embrace. I never would have dreamed of opening a permanent home for SIZED so quickly, and here we are.

EF: Why have you chosen to focus this edition of SIZED on Ikebana and vessels? Have you seen a specific rise in interest in the Japanese art?

AM: This exhibition was inspired by a variety of conversations I’ve had with close friends around Ikebana. I’ve done floral arranging myself since I was a kid. My mom spent a lot of time in Japan in her early 20s—her family lived there for 10 years—so she practiced Ikebana in the house when I was young. My fascination is long-standing. When further investigating the Sōgetsu school I was really taken with Sōfū Teshigahara’s work in the 1930s and ’40s. Specifically, the way he broke tradition within the classical structures of Ikebana while still maintaining incredible references to its shape and history within Japanese culture. The vessel can be a very neutral subject, but I like that it fundamentality can be interpreted in so many ways.

EF: In comparison to the first edition last year, have the challenges in staging an international exhibition changed?

AM: Some challenges always remain the same; dealing with shipping is never easy. But I’ve found that coming out of the isolation of this pandemic there’s more connectivity between designers and artists than ever before. This edition of SIZED is much more global than last year. I think because VESSELS as a project is more narrowed in concept, it widened the scope of collaborators.

EF: What is currently inspiring you?

AM: I’m really enjoying the experience of exploring Los Angeles and connecting with SIZED’s new permanent space here. I’m re-engaging with the white box and that’s caused me to really focus in on the materiality of the works we’re presenting here. I can’t get enough of aluminum right now. The exploration of medium in this show is inspiring to me. There are works made of aluminum, steel, clay, marble, plaster, concrete, glass, bronze, rubber, fiber, resin, silicon and, of course, botanicals.

The facade of SIZED.STUDIO in Hollywood.

Read the full list of participants below:

1000 Incorporated

Addison Wolseley

Ali Beletic

Alma Allen

Amelia Stevens

André Thuret

Antonio Forteleoni

Ashley Martin

Ashwini Bhat

Avi Kovacevich

Base 10

Ben Medansky

Blum & Poe

Brett Robinson

Cat Snodgrass

Charlotte Perriand

Chic by Accident

Chris Fusaro

Chris Miller

Chris Wolston

Christian Vargas

Christopher Al-Jumah

Claudia Girbau

Clive Sithole

Commune Design

D.I.M.

Dana Arbib

David Cressey

DEN

Dina Satti

Disciplina Studio

Donna Green

Eddie Olin

Ei Arakawa

Elliot Bergman

Emmanuel Olunkwa

Emmanuel Röhss

Eric Oglander

Ethan Caflisch

Fai Khadra

Formative Modern

Gaetano Pesce

Giovanni Leonardo

Bassan

Grace Prince

h.e.m. Casa at Lee

Stanton

Heven Glass

Hostler & Burrows

Hot Cactus

Illya Goldman Gubin

J.M Szymanski

Jean Boris Lacroix

Jean Luce

Jeff Martin

JF Chen

Jim McDowell

Jonny Ribeiro

Joseph Mass 

Jude Pauli

Kati Tuominen-niittyl 

Kazunori Hamana

Kelly Wearstler

Kevin Stalh

Kit Howland

Klaus Jürgen Schmidt

Kwangho Lee

Leena Similu

Lianne Barnes

Logan Wannamaker

LS Gomma

Lukas Stoever

Marc Leschelier

Marta Gallery

Massimiliano Locatelli

Matty Fisher

Max Lamb

Minjae Kim

Nevine Mahmoud

NFS

Nick Gianetti

Nonaka-Hill

Overduin & co

Pablo Picasso

Philippe Malouin

RA Workshop - Rich Aybar

Radford Gallery

Ravi GuneWardena

Reinaldo Sanguino

Rick Owens Furniture

Rio Estudio

Roger Herman

Rooms Studio

Salon 94 Design

Scarlett Rouge

Shane Gabier

Shoshana Wayne Gallery

Shozo Michikawa

Shun Kinoshita

Skylar Haskard

Sonja Du -Meyer

Studio Balestra

Studio IMA

Studio Jake Arnold

Studio Paolini

Sumner

Susan for Susan

Tappan Collective

The Art Reporter

The Future Perfect

The Tropics

The Window

Thomas Barger

Tienda X

Tino Seubert

TIWA Select

Tory J. Lowitz

Ulysses Desanti

Vanessa Beecroft

Walter Mingledorff