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Form Meets Function At a SoMa Boutique

Andrea Valentini creates wearable art

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A quick peek through the window of Andrea Valentini’s retail space, the Showroom Gallery on South Main Street, might fool the curious passerby into believing that the only items sold inside are handbags: editorial-ready lifestyle bags are displayed neatly on floating shelves in eye-catching contrast to the stark white wall behind them. But a step inside and a look around will reveal that Valentini has cast her mark on the furniture, lighting and more. She’s truly a 3D artist.

The acclaimed designer is all about creating unique sculptural materials while also utilizing everyday materials, forming and sculpting them to create something new – like the custom light pendant and the accordian wall in her showroom. “We have a saying in our studio,” Valentini says, “materials form objects form space. Our practice goes full circle from creating materials to creating spaces.” Whether it’s a handbag or a chair, her pieces are raw and edgy but with feminine and sensual touches.

It all began back when the designer focused primarily on interiors, often making custom furniture for her clients. During this process, she noticed her children really gravitated to the sculptural materials she would create and bring home from the foam factory. Her renowned Coose Egg Chair was inspired by a child’s desire to touch and was cut from a single block of fire-retardant foam, creating an interlocking chair and ottoman. The made-to-order piece retails for $399 and is available online.

After developing the chair, Valentini tried to further protect the foam by laminating and molding fabrics to create a durable material that would withstand weather and wear while being tactile in nature. The result of her hard work and experimentation was Bump, the exclusive, sculptural foam textile that she is well-known for.

In fact, those neatly displayed lifestyle bags in her showroom are constructed from Bump. The material protects from the inside out: the foam protects contents on the inside while the outer layer is water-repellent and very easy to clean, protecting itself from the everyday environmental exposures. Valentini first created her own bags and then sourced local manufacturers to further develop the collection to include items such as a computer laptop briefcase, which she was first noticed for.

From there, she took her tactile material and created many more objects from lighting to sculptures to personal accessories. “I’m all about sculptural textures and up-cycling everyday materials to create something different,” Valentini says. “I strive to design pieces that people curiously question – it looks familiar to them, but it is different and unique.”

The RISD grad and adjunct professor shows off her versatility and vision with one-of-a-kind items such as the Origami Pillow Cover (originally designed for the W Hotel in Seoul, South Korea); the Squeeze Lamp (made from the same fire-retardant, corregated foam as the Coose Egg Chair); and the DNA jewelry collection (a fun, wearable connection between science and art).

Stop by the showroom Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-6pm. The in-store product ranges from $24-$299. “We intentionally redesigned the lifestyle bag collection to be uniquely different yet functional pieces one would use in their everyday life. Therefore, we want to ensure our bags are sold at an affordable price – all under $300,” Valentini says. “We believe everyone deserves to afford great design.”

Andrea Valentini, 3D artist, Scuplture, Coose Egg Chair, Bump, up-cycling, design, form, funciton, RISD, providence monthly

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