Fog Design + Art or Paris Déco Off?
January has two dueling design events: San Francisco's Fog Design + Art and Paris Déco Off. The former runs from January 16th to the 20th, the later is January 17th to 21st. Visit the Fog fair at historic Fort Mason and find an assemblage of 45 leading international galleries featuring 20th-century and contemporary art and design. Or hop over to the City of Light and experience the 10th anniversary of Paris Déco Off. Wander the streets of the Left and Right Banks to see the newest collections of fabrics and furnishings in the interior design trade showrooms. You will feel right at home with so much of the San Francisco design community visiting.
In Paris, the House of Pierre Frey is a must see. The textile company founded in 1935, draws its inspiration from the French eighteenth-century, Contemporary Art, and exotic ethnic artifacts. Using master weavers, printers and embroiderers each collection tells a story. Led by Patrick Frey, the family-owned firm is the quintessence of French art de vivre. If you do not make it to Paris, you can view the line of fabrics and wall coverings at Kneedler Fauchère in San Francisco.
At last year's Fog Design + Art fair, visitors were enchanted by Japanese artist Kohei Nawa’s “PixCell-Maral Deer." The animal took a modern twist on taxidermy when the artist encased its body and antlers in artificial crystal glass beads. Shown at Pace Gallery's booth the mixed media sculpture was reminiscent of Kasuga Deer Mandalas that depict deer as divine messengers. A similar work by Nawa is on view at The Met.
Another destination in Paris is the Thai based Jim Thompson showroom. From its inception in 1950, the company revitalized the art of silk weaving. Jim Thompson, the American spy turned Thai silk mogul, translated the failing cottage industry into what is now a global enterprise. While Thompson mysteriously disappeared from a Malaysian jungle in 1967, he lives on in the exquisite silks manufactured in house by the firm. In San Francisco, Shears & Window represents the line of legendary textiles.
