NOMAD Abu Dhabi

Working predominantly in bronze, French artist Ingrid Donat takes a painterly approach to the weighty medium, imbuing it with warmth and vitality. The intricate circular patterns imprinted into the surface of works such as Buffet Rondelles Reema and Table Basse Mica 6 PAN09 PM exemplify the distinctive mark-making technique for which Donat is known. Both sculptures were created at The Workshop in Mitry-Mory, Carpenters’ 8,000 sq. m facility for research, innovation and artistic production near Paris that forms the artisanal heart of the Carpenters ecosystem.

In a career spanning six decades, American sculptor Wendell Castle forged a unique discipline that seamlessly intertwined sculpture and industrial design. One of the defining works from the later stage of his life and career is Veiled in a Dream, in which three tapering, conical spires reach upwards and provide the framework for a seat suspended from their side. Originally carved from wood before being cast in bronze, the work features an agile form that seems to defy the logic of its heavyweight materials.

Spanish artist Nacho Carbonell is known for his tactile approach to sculpture, playing with texture, experimental techniques, and natural materials. Flying Bubble (1144/2025) is a sculptural lighting piece in which wavy formations of metal mesh filled with pigmented Paverpol plaster emerge from the structure’s metal skeleton like leaves from a tree. A warm light glowing in the centre contrasts with the sculpture’s silvery hue, embodying Carbonell’s view of objects and living and communicative.

France-based designer Vincent Dubourg introduces motion to stationary objects, through works that imagine metals like bronze and steel as materials caught between violence and repose. In Double Buffet Nouvelle Zelande, two structures appear to have shattered each other through collision, as if forced together by tectonic activity. The composition captures a moment frozen in time, evoking the power of the Earth’s natural forces while also questioning the impact of the manmade world.

Carpenters’ booth at NOMAD Abu Dhabi also features works by David Adjaye, Maarten Baas, Sebastian Brajkovic, Vincenzo De Cotiis, DRIFT, Anton Hendrik Denys, Roger Herman, Pierre Jeanneret, Rick Owens, Giacomo Ravagli, Marcin Rusak, Ashiesh Shah and Thukral and Tagra. Showcasing some of the finest practices in collectible design from around the world, the display reflects Carpenters’ ambition to contribute to the future of collectible design in the UAE and the surrounding region.