Nomadic design gallery VERSO closes out 2025 with a group of four exhibitions called Autumn. As was earlier in the year in May, the work is presented at Nine Chapel, a 14-story boutique condominium tower near Downtown, Brooklyn.
Furniture and lighting from Estudio Persona occupies the ground floor lobby. The sofas from the new Abrazo collection favor soft forms that tuck into each other over a rigid structure.
Wagetsu by Waka Waka and Karimoku offers a modern take on traditional Japanese furniture. The low seating and tables incorporate nods to joinery and lacquer brought forward from the past.
In the 13th floor penthouse were tissue-thin ceramic sculptures by Alissa Coe resembling undersea coral and plants. More ceramic work from Alex Koutny was dotted around the interior on furniture from Dokter and Misses. Koutny creates small scale relics of modern architecture as eroded and decaying forms. Dokter and Misses present their playful furnishings that incorporate bold geometry and surface patterns. I particularly like the metal frame sofa with removable cushions both for a practical maintenance solution and as an alternative to the typical mono-upholstered mass.
Full Description
ABRAZO, by Estudio Persona
Abrazo, the new capsule collection by Estudio Persona, explores softness and gesture through form. Upholstery becomes architecture as folds, pleats, and drapes compose a quiet rhythm of tension and release.
RIFUGIO, by Alissa Coe
Rifugio, the latest collection by Alissa Coe, continues her exploration of light and material through sculptural ceramic forms. Defined by balance and restraint, the work evokes a sense of calm architecture, offering space for stillness within its curves and voids.
FRESH POND, by Dokter & Misses + Alex Koutny
Fresh Pond is a collection of furniture and lighting with a pulse. Alive with contrast, clarity, humor, and heart. It marks a new chapter for Dokter and Misses, the Johannesburg and New York studio that finds poetry in the awkward and truth in the precise, where function meets feeling. The collection is paired with works by South African–born, New York–based artist Alex Koutny, who carves and erodes clay with handmade and construction tools, revealing forms that reflect the decay and ambition of modern architecture.
WAGETSU, by Waka Waka & Karimoku
Wagetsu, a collaboration between Waka Waka and Karimoku, interprets the Japanese sensibility of modest beauty through contemporary design. The collection studies the interplay of light and shadow, surface and depth, where harmony is achieved not through symmetry but through balance and presence.
Photos and Intro Text: Dave Pinter
Additional Description: VERSO
