The first solo presentation in a UK museum of the work of British designer and artist Bethan Laura Wood will open at the Design Museum next month. Over 70 objects will be on display—including some of Wood’s most eye-catching creations alongside brand-new work—in the free display that celebrates her radical and vibrant practice.
Wood’s show will inaugurate a new and important annual display series at the Design Museum, PLATFORM, which champions contemporary design practice.
Known for her eclectic creations spanning furniture, lighting, jewellery, and installations, Bethan Laura Wood’s work is characterised by bold colour, intricate patterns, and innovative material combinations. Visitors to the display will discover objects ranging from stained teacups to patterned modular furniture.
Since obtaining an MA in Design Products at the Royal College of Art and establishing her eponymous design studio in 2009, Wood has become one of the most exciting new designers of the past decade. She has quickly gained a cult following alongside a celebrated global design reputation.
In recent years, she’s been commissioned by and produced named collaborations with a variety of international partners, including PerrierJouët, Hermes, and Dior.
Her works are in the permanent collections of the Wellcome Collection and the V&A in London, the Dresden State Art Collections in Germany, the Art Institute of Chicago and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in the USA, and the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia.
Her PLATFORM display marks a return to the Design Museum for Wood, who exhibited an installation there as part of a cohort of Designers in Residence in 2009. This programme invited young designers at the very beginning of their careers to create site-specific work in the museum’s former home in Shad Thames. Wood furnished the museum café with functional furniture made from a patchwork of laminates.
Banana Split by Bethan Laura Wood. Photograph by Angus Mills. Courtesy of the artist and the Design Museum.
Desire, Adornment and Hyperreality
Wood’s display at the Design Museum will be divided into three sections—Desire, Adornment, and Hyperreality—which explore some of the significant recurring themes of her work.
Desire will focus on Wood’s fascination with how we connect with everyday objects. As an avid collector herself, Wood’s work delves into how and why we covet certain pieces. By exploring objects that become integral to our daily routines, Wood seeks to design things people want to keep and give a sense of ceremony every time they are used.
This section will feature a porcelain tea set intentionally stained by Wood so that the more the cups are used, the more the pattern reveals itself. It will be accompanied by a colourful and embroidered installation of desserts inspired by paintings in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum. Also featured in this section is a striking wall-mounted flower lights created in collaboration with Mexican and Italian artisans.
Adornment will explore Woods’s use of ornamentation, decoration and pattern. Her practice considers how objects can be functional and highly ornate, with decoration adding layered meaning.
Maria Chaise A-Tolix Le Grand Dame (2015) by Bethan Laura Wood. Courtesy ofTolix and the Design Museum.
Visitors will discover in this section Wood’s reinterpretation of Tolix’s ‘Model A’ chair, a ubiquitous seat in public spaces. Her eye-catching redesign saw her subvert the original chair’s simplicity by combining two apparent opposites — the feminine form and industrial power. It was in part inspired by the robot Maschinenmensch Maria from the film ‘Metropolis’ (1927) and Queen Elizabeth I.
Meisen Caterpillar detail (2022) by Bethan Laura Wood. Photograph by Emanuele Tortora. Courtesy of Nilufar and the Design Museum.
In the final section, Hyperreality, objects on show will demonstrate how Wood plays with our understanding of what is natural versus what is man-made and how she often creates illusions by layering materials and patterns to force us to question what we are looking at.
HyperNature, Wood’s psychedelic wall sconce, will be on show. With branches made from aluminium and leaves and petals made from PVC, Wood’s design blurs the boundaries between natural and man-made while elevating PVC from an everyday material into an artisan object.
There will also be a full-scale example of one of Wood’s Kaleidoscope-o-rama carpets — produced by cc-tapis — a contemporary take on highly decorative rugs that were popular during the Regency period in Britain. Wood’s carpets nod to the popular painting method of ‘graining’, a decorative technique that imitates the look of expensive and rare hardwoods.
Each of these three sections will begin with an item from Wood’s collection. These objects will provide a jumping-off point into the section’s themes and offer personal insight into her inspirations.
Teapot in ‘Tongue Tea Set’ for Rosenthal (2019) by Bethan Laura Wood by David Sierra. Courtesy of Rosenthal and The Design Museum.
Bethan Laura Wood said, “It is a great honour to be invited to display a wide range of my studio’s work at the Design Museum. This exhibition not only highlights the final pieces but also offers a behind-the-scenes look at my creative process — from early sketches and renderings to detailed scale models.
“The museum has been a significant supporter of my work ever since I participated in its Design Residency program in 2009 with Particle. That experience was a pivotal moment in the development of my design language. It brings me immense joy to return and present this body of work, along with many pieces that followed, in a free-access space where it can be enjoyed by everyone.”
Mother Tongue (2024) by Bethan Laura Wood. Photograph by Angus Mill. Courtesy of the artist and the Design Museum.
Esme Hawes, curator of PLATFORM: Bethan Laura Wood at the Design Museum, said, “Wood’s work invites us to look beyond the surface. Her vibrant and varied work nods to different cultures and time periods, celebrating individuality and maximalism. We cannot wait for visitors to come and experience her designs and their sumptuous explosion of colour, pattern, and texture.”
PLATFORM — A New Annual Display Series
PLATFORM is a new annual display on the first-floor atrium gallery in the heart of the Design Museum that is free to visit.
Each year, PLATFORM will showcase the work of a designer or studio who is making a significant impact on contemporary design. With few non-commercial spaces in London dedicated to showcasing contemporary design, PLATFORM offers a unique opportunity for designers to engage with Design Museum audiences and demonstrate the broad reach of design in society. Visitors will be invited to a conversation about their practice and how and why they design.
The PLATFORM displays will feature the inspirations, processes and progress associated with developing design projects. This includes various aspects of the creative process, including sketches, model making and prototypes, as well as the completed project.
These displays will build upon the legacy of previous solo displays at the Design Museum since its move to Kensington, including the work of Margaret Calvert (2020-2021), Bethany Williams (2022) and Yinka Ilori (2022-2023).
Johanna Agerman-Ross, the Conran Chief Curator at the Design Museum, said, “Every year, the heart of the Design Museum will now showcase the work of a designer or studio that’s making a remarkable impact on contemporary design.
“It’s hugely exciting that our hundreds of thousands of annual visitors will be able to get a snapshot into the current status of the design discipline and its transformative potential. And we hope that it also inspires a new generation of designers, who might one day get to see their work on display in PLATFORM.”
PLATFORM: Bethan Laura Wood will open at the Design Museum in London on 14 February 2025 and is free to visit.
Lead image: Portrait of Bethan Laura Wood by David Sierra. Courtesy of the artist and The Design Museum.
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