Known for exhibiting work by artists, designers and architects that challenge traditional expression across its dedicated spaces in London, New York, Paris and San Francisco, Carpenters Workshop Gallery welcomed the public to its new Los Angeles location on June 25 with an inaugural exhibition by Spanish artist Nacho Carbonell. Cultured editor-in-chief Sarah Harrelson partnered with Carpenters Workshop Gallery director of the Americas Ashlee Harrison and LA director Louise Torron to host an elegant lunch in celebration. Last Friday, a roster of art and design world figures gathered inside the West Hollywood gallery the day before its official opening for a preview of the show and celebratory libations. 

Seated at a long table in the former pharmacy-turned-exhibition space, guests engaged in conversation while enjoying oysters and other seafood delights from local Mayday Seafood & Market and sipping El Cristiano Tequila and Scotty-Boy! wines. Notable attendees included Anne Crawford, Benjamin Critton, Corinne Auge, Brigette Romanek, Liane Weintraub, Diedrick Brackens, Delaram Rivani, Sophia Penske, Sarah Calodney, Kostas Lambridis, Lizzie Grover Rad, Sami Hayek, Daniela Villegas, Francesca Dutton and Thea Andrews. 

Julien Lombrail, Sarah Harrelson, Loïc le Gaillard, Nacho Carbonell and Kostas Lambridis.

Francesca Dutton, Vajra Kingsley and Julien Lombrail.

Ashlee Harrison, Francesca Dutton and Anne Crawford.

Sarah Harrelson and Nacho Carbonell.

Esther Kim Varet and Diedrick Brackens.

Sophia Penske and Andre Herrero.

Brigette Romanek and Louise Torron.

Liane Weintraub and Daniela Villegas.

Benjamin Critton and Ingrid Donat.

Ashlee Harrison.

Carbonell’s Carpenters Workshop exhibition—his debut solo show in the United States—includes more than a dozen hand-sculpted works inspired by nature, with one fountain-like piece even incorporating the physical element of water. “These sculptures mark a real departure from Carbonell’s earlier work. His magic lies in his ability to transform organic materials and debris into extraordinary sculptures,” says Carpenters Workshop Gallery cofounder Loïc Le Gaillard. Carbonell’s tactile and experimental studio practices draw from a variety of influential artists throughout history, yet he has a unique ability to create pieces with ethereal landscapes that silently speak about the world we inhabit. This exhibition intentionally resonates with California’s landscapes, while simultaneously paying tribute to Carbonell’s naitive home in Spain. 

The unconventional exhibition is the perfect opening for the gallery’s new location, which aims to engage the community of West Coast collectors through museum-quality exhibitions and educational programming. As cofounder Julien Lombrial says, Carbonell is “perfect for LA and the wild, wild West—strong, rogue and beautiful at the same time. It’s art from the gut.”