It was only a couple months ago I visited the first edition of Current which was part of the delayed fall 2021 NYCxDesign schedule. The Brooklyn-focused show is back as one of the first to kick off events on the 2022 NYCxDesign May calendar.

Current – Tides of Contemporary Design presents another group of designers who fabricate their own work. Inside the divided space, one side blue and the other white, includes a range of furniture, lighting and accessories.

The work presented, much of it created specifically for this show, basically fits into two categories. First is the influence of hand-formed, naturalistic and very direct shapes. This is represented particularly well in the furniture pieces by Brent Warr, Luke Malaney and River Valadez.

In contrast to these pieces are highly engineered and refined lighting and accessories by James Dieter, Bjarke Ballisager and Will Choui. Dieter’s twisting aluminum lamps in particular employ some really precise engineering to completely hide the power cord.

Overall the 2022 Current show encompasses a good range of work from independent designers without lacking curation. The show offers a good look at the design vibe coming out of the small and often unseen studios and workshops around Brooklyn.

Photos and Text: Dave Pinter