David Gill Gallery
PAD London 2015

Following the major critical and commercial success of his six metre tall Tower of Babel, currently installed at the V&A, artist Barnaby Barford will be presenting new work in ceramic which wrestles with ideas of utopia vs. dystopia and our relationship with the contemporary world. Utopia II will deftly juxtapose the elegance and beauty of porcelain with a typically subversive message.

Named after Henry VIII's Chancellor Thomas More's book of 1516, Utopia II features fragments of a reproduction of 'The Garden of Earthly Delights' by Hieronymus Bosch. The famous triptych of 1490-1510 narrates the story of man’s creation through to his damnation via the earthly garden filled with carnal delights, whilst More's book sets out his vision for an ideal existence covering law, philosophy and morality. Barford continues to create a body of work that is both beautiful and thought-provoking.

The work of Michele Oka Doner has been at the cutting edge of American applied and decorative arts for over four decades. Showing with David Gill Gallery for the first time, Oka Doner will present two pieces: Chair Meteorite Cosmos (circa 1990) and a solid sterling silver Ice Bucket (2015). Oka Doner’s work merges the natural world with an almost ethereal sense of the possibility of her materials – solidity and fragility seeming to combine in a body of work that moves from sculpture to design and architectural installation. A solo exhibition of this artist will be held at the David Gill Gallery from November 18th.

Prior to their forthcoming solo exhibition (February 2016) Fredrikson Stallard will show their Pyrenees Sofa (2007). Also showing will be their crystal and stainless steel Cannon Chandelier (2014), both the 2 and 3 metre versions. Continuing to push the boundaries of avant-garde British design, their work offers a dialogue between the industrial and the sensual.

One of the gallery's most established names, Mattia Bonetti will be showing several pieces. The Fakir Cabinet 2004 offers an interplay of light and shade and material and form with the use of steel, nickel and aluminium. Torchere Metropolis and Coffee Table DW1 and Coffee Table DW2 dance along the axis between fragility and strength that is both fleeting and witty, but each piece also retains a voluptuousness that is both beguiling and incredibly sensual. Other pieces on display include Fireplace with Mirror Installation and Palazzo Console in marble as well as Wall Lamps and Sconces. The gallery will also show the Elizabeth Armchair (1984) by Garouste and Bonetti.