By Alice Morby
Creative couple Candice and Darren Romanelli are marking a milestone since their nuptials in a new show named “Wedding Anniversary”, which has seen the pair create pieces that are informed by one another styles.
Taking place at Friedman Benda‘s gallery space in Los Angeles, the show features a range of works that examine the pair as individuals but also charts their collaboration as artistic partners over the course of their 25-year marriage. It has, in part, been influenced by their home in Los Feliz, which they converted into a shared studio space during the pandemic, and in turn, enabled them to work side-by-side.
The ways in which this close proximity has affected their respective outcomes is shown throughout – from aesthetic choices, to the ways in which they’ve pushed one another’s practices into new directions.
With this in mind, Candice – who trained as a graphic designer but whose medium is now ceramics – is showing her first-ever lighting pieces. Darren, on the other hand, is marking his biggest step into the design industry yet, by creating an expansive collection of works that encompass his signature quilting and patchworking across their upholstery and surfaces. Also peppered throughout are works by some of the couple’s friends and artists who inspire them, including Psychic Outlaw, Benny Blanco, Jessica Damuck, Maya Yogev, and James Wines.
“The exhibition is a natural extension of our world,” Darren says. “It feels really organic and authentic to our daily life.”
“Wedding Anniversary draws on what Romanelli describes as the ‘moment of impact’ by stimulating all senses through sights, tastes, smells, and sounds to replicate the feeling of being home,” Friedman Benda added.
Wedding Anniversary is on show at Friedman Benda Los Angeles through to October 1. Elsewhere in design, Portugal-based designer Nelson de Araújo Design has unveiled a new collection of chairs, which are each upholstered with velvet and crafted with sharp lines and a series of circular shapes.
