Reclaim + Repair: The Mahogany Project
July 20, 2023 - September 2, 2024
Reclaim + Repair: The Mahogany Project, curated by Propellor Studio, in collaboration with Museum of Vancouver, celebrates the creativity and craft of Vancouver’s design community, while engaging with questions central to the role of design in advancing sustainability as well as social and environmental justice.
A diverse group of 31 emerging and seasoned local designers and makers were selected to create 22 objects made from vintage mahogany provided by MOV. The exhibition features a wide array of design objects from furniture, lighting and household objects, to jewelry, and much more. The idea for Reclaim + Repair: The Mahogany Project was born out of a desire to honour this material and the places from which it originated.
Works created by designers for the exhibition are for sale. A portion of the sales will be donated to support Indigenous-led reforestation efforts in Central America, where the mahogany was extracted in the last century.
About the Mahogany
The mahogany that was used in this exhibition came from a local business that specialized in designing and manufacturing boating equipment. It was harvested between the 1950s and 1970s in Guatemala and Nicaragua. When the factory closed, this leftover wood went into storage for many years. Recently, the organization responsible for the wood felt it was important to give it a second life and donated it to the MOV's upcycling design program.
Participating Artists and Designers:
Angelica Shiwon Jang (Plain Sight Creative) - Plain Sight Creative
Anna Gustafson (Blue Horse) - Blue Horse - @annagustafson1
Arnt Arntzen (Arnt Arntzen Furniture) - Arnt Arntzen Furniture @arntarntzenstudiofurniture
Becki Chan (Becki Chan Design) - Becki Chan Design - @beckichan
Benny Kwok and Mira Yung (Smla Studio) - Smla Studio
Bram Sawatzky (Willow & Stump Design) - Willow & Stump Design Co. - @willowandstump
Brent Comber (Brent Comber Originals) - Brent Comber Originals - @brentcomberoriginals
Devin Connell (Carbon Being Design) - @carbonbeingdesign
Diane Thompson (Clay Plus Jewelry) - @clayplusjewelry
Josiah Peters & Ryan Tam (Lock and Mortice) - Lock and Mortice - @lockandmortice
Imu Chan & Katy Young (Imu Chan Architecture) - Imu Chan Architecture
Jessica Guthrie (JC Guthrie) - JC Guthrie - @j_c_guthrie
Jordan Lypkie (Objects of Encounter) - @objectsofencounter
Kaly Ryan (Capella Design) - Capella Design - @designbycapella
Kenneth Torrance (Barter) - B A R T E R - @barter.design
Kevin Isherwood and Christa Clay (Studio AY) - Studio AY - @kwisherwood - @christaclay
Mario Paredes (Workbench Studio) - Workbench Studio - @workbench.studio
Nina Rozin (Nina Rozin Footwear Studio) - @nina_rozin_footwear_studio
Sage Nowak & Tyler Goin (Studio Noise Assembly) - Noise Assembly - @studio.noiseassembly & @sagenowak
Shelley Park (Shelley D. Park Guitars) - Shelley D. Park - @parkguitars
Stu Coleman (SCD WOODWORKS) - @scdwoodworks
Tanya Gleave (T A N I A G L E A V E) - @taniagleave
Toby Barratt, Pamela Goddard and Nik Rust (Propellor Studio) - @propellorstudio
Project Submission Sketches, Mario Paredes of Workbench Studio
A call for submission was sent in October 2022 and closed on December 30, 2022. Of the 65 submissions, the review panel made up of five accomplished professionals from the design community, selected 22 projects. The selection committee and project leads (Propellor Studio and Curatorial Lead (MOV), Viviane Gosselin) were impressed by the originality and quality of all the entries.
A sneak peek of what some of the designers are working on…
Highlight Videos
Exhibition Team
Guest Curators: Propellor Studio
Curatorial Lead (MOV): Viviane Gosselin, Director of Collections and Exhibitions
Fabrication Manager: Josh Doherty
Exhibition Sponsor
