The After Ago Collection

A furniture and home accessories collection inspired by Memphis design and Postmodernism.

Curated by art gallery Galerie Philia, The First Times art and design exhibition brings together talented artists and designers that come from different cultures but share the same creative flair and imaginative style. Many of them have never exhibited their work in the US until now. For the show, Lebanon-based architect and designer Richard Yasmine created the After Ago collection of furniture and accessories. Drawing inspiration from the Memphis design movement, Postmodernism, and Art Deco, the pieces of furniture double as art pieces.

The collection explores the shape of the arch with sculptural furniture and objects that include a table, a chair, a vase, and a shelving unit. Completed with a stripe pattern in a black and white palette, the designs reference contrasting elements. This detail gives a nod to the designer’s native city of Beirut and its multi-layered history. The palette also refers to contradictory emotional states. To create the handmade pieces, Richard Yasmine used a range of materials, including foam and clay. He then painted the objects in the collection’s signature pattern.

The exhibition runs from the October 5 until the December 3, 2021 at Galerie Philia’s location in Tribeca, New York. Apart from Richard Yasmine’s work, The First Times show also features artworks and sculptural designs created by Carine Boxy, Jason Mizrahi, Hermine Bourdin, Jérôme Pereira, Frédéric Saulou, Sylvia Eustache-Rools, Arno Declercq, Alain Ellouz, and Rick Owens, among many others. The gallery also used this opportunity to showcase their new Philia Interiors project. Photographs© Richard Yasmine, Galerie Philia.