Proximity Exhibition | Nationale Portland 2021

We were pleased to collaborate with Nationale on Proximity, the first joint exhibition between the gallery and the Form&Seek Collective.

As a design studio, Form&Seek focuses on developing new processes and contemporary craft methodologies that expand how objects are conceived, made, and experienced. Proximity brought together the work of Irina Flore, Ákos Huber, Karen Lee, Laura Papp, and Bilge Nur Saltik in a shared spatial dialogue exploring form, function, play, and materiality.

Through this exhibition, we examined how these larger themes manifest within objects themselves — questioning whether inanimate forms can carry emotive qualities. Can objects embody empathy, sensitivity, warmth? Can material and structure suggest something deeply human?

The works presented contort expected forms and shift compositional norms, each designer stretching their craft and methodology in pursuit of new expression. Ákos Huber’s Chair of the Moment balances structural solidity with an unexpected softness, pairing stern architectural pillars with an inviting canvas seat. Irina Flore’s 3D-printed Extraordinary Objects challenge perception — their utility emerging only through an understanding of construction and user interaction. Laura Papp transforms a single material into twisted case pieces that operate simultaneously as sculpture and storage. Karen Lee’s Pleasure Vessels explore the dialogue between glass and wood, inviting viewers to build their own relationship between contrasting mediums. Bilge Nur Saltik’s Frosting Collection re-examines digital fabrication processes, refining technology into forms that feel both precise and approachable.

With Proximity, we sought to create a space where maker and user meet through the object — where material intention and human interpretation form a subtle symbiosis. In engaging with these works, viewers inevitably project their own qualities onto them, allowing the objects to take on life beyond their material composition.