Angie West and Alberto Vélez were already well-versed in infusing artistic sensibility into experimental objects and furniture (previous gigs include fabricating large-scale works for the likes of Theaster Gates and Studio Sofield) when they co-founded Chicago-based collectible design studio Refractory.
Seeking to rekindle a renaissance of American artisanship, the duo’s debut collection encompasses dozens of frontier-inspired pieces rigorously crafted in cast bronze, solid black walnut, and cast resin, all paying homage to the sublime beauty of the resilient natural formations that inspired the studio’s name.
By Ryan Waddoups
