Pierre Yovanovitch’s Love Exhibition in New York

French designer Pierre Yovanovitch’s latest collection of furnishing and lighting, LOVE, explores variations on the namesake theme through a storytelling exhibition at New York’s R & Company gallery. Over 20 new pieces are displayed through an immersive experience that leads visitors through a series of staged scenes centred around the imaginary character Miss Oops, who recurs throughout Yovanovitch’s works.

The collection is staged within domestic scenes rich in colour, textured materials, playful graphic signage elements and soft lighting. Each symbolizes the emotional evolution of Miss Oops’ budding romance, starting in the parlour, leading to the dining room, then the boudoir, and ending in the bedroom. New pieces include an armchair, table, sofa, and for the first time a bed frame and bed from Hästens Los Angeles.

“To bring my work out of the context of a private home and into a scenography of my creation is so special, as it not only allows me to dabble in my passion for set design and narrative and showcase my designs to the greater public, which is something I rarely have the privilege to do,” says Yovanovitch.

In the parlour room, Daydream Mama and Papa Bear armchairs are evocative of a ‘bear hug’ featuring rounded ears and embroidered arms that look to embrace the form. In the dining room, a white Madame Oops chair features an upholstered heart-shaped back, while the blue Monsieur Oops chair inverts the heart. All upholstery and textiles in the collection are adorned with handmade French embroidery by Lésage.

Championing understated elegance and artisanal processes, Yovanovitch worked with ceramicists, woodworkers, ironworkers, glassmakers and on the LOVE collection. In addition to his new works, the designer selected a number of contemporary pieces from galleries Perrotin New York, Lehmann Maupin New York, Salon 94, Almine Rech New York, Kamel Mennour and Claire Tabouret to display.

LOVE is on view at R & Company until December 21, 2019. Yovanovitch’s recently launched monograph published with Rizzoli will also be available for sale at the R & Company library.