ABOUT

Sam Stewart (b. 1988, North Carolina) is a New York based artist whose work resembles and functions as household furniture and domestic objects. As sculptures, they often take on animistic qualities that border on the absurd and whimsical, but also the slightly perverse.

His forms, colors, and shifts in scale collapse observations of his present—from everyday New York spaces (drainage pipelines, subway seating), iconic 20th century design, and 3D modeling software—with those that evoke his memory of childhood perception. Although his source material tends to be specific (retro sets and costumes from children’s movies of the 80s and 90s, like Beetlejuice or Big, the mass produced palette of Fisher Price, the extruding and distorting tools of Google Sketch Up) and projects carefully researched (from the history of the execution chair and UFO spotting’s to virtual reality and 3D scanning technology), the objects themselves are aimed at a more visceral, bodily and emotive response akin to creating and reading a painted image.

He is interested in design that elicits a heightened simplicity and exaggerated satisfaction of looking, as much he wants to draw out awkward, more anecdotal encounters with the designed object.

Stewart’s studio practice involves meticulous attention to craftsmanship and working with fabricators and modes of production typically adopted by professionals in the field.

Stewart is represented by Volume Gallery, Chicago and Fort Gansevoort, New York.

EDUCATION

B.A., St. John’s College, Santa Fe, NM 2007-11


SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2024

Anonyme Skulpturen, KDR, Miami, FL

2022

Daisy Chain, Volume Gallery, Chicago, IL

2020

Ultralight, Volume Gallery, Chicago, IL

2019

Built From the Same Chassis, MEGA Gallery, Milan, IT

Night Lights, Galerie Michael Bargo, New York, NY

2018

Cryptid, Fort Gansevoort, New York, NY


TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2020

Useless Flowers, Fisher Parrish, Brooklyn, NY


GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2024

Body Objects, Room 57 Gallery, New York, NY

Extra Taste, International Objects, Brooklyn, NY

2023

Present Objects, R & Company, New York, NY

Bowery Gothic, Jack Chiles, New York, NY

Interior, Galerie Fabian Lang, Zurich, CH

Felix Art Fair, Volume Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Fog Art Fair, Volume Gallery, San Francisco, CA

2022

Zut! Paris, Paris, FR

Why Now, Spotti, Milan, It

Felix Art Fair, Volume Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2021

Private Quarters III, Design Miami, Volume Gallery, Miami, FL

Under / Over (East), Marta, New York, NY

Super Group 2, Superhouse, New York, NY

Lamp Kiosk, Independent Art Fair, New York, NY

Private Quarters II, Volume Gallery, Chicago, IL

2020

Tenure, Volume Gallery, Chicago, IL

Hypertension, curated by Felix Burrichter, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, ASTL

VitraHaus Loft by Charlap Hyman & Herrero, Vitra Campus, Basel, CH

Comfort, Friedman Benda, New York, NY

2019

Chairs Beyond Right & Wrong, R & Co., New York, NY

The Chair, Future Perfect Group, New York, NY

Blow Up, Friedman Benda, New York, NY

2018

This Is Not a Chair, Plant Seven, High Point, NC

By Design, Larrie Gallery, New York, NY

The Ashtray Show, Fisher Parrish Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

2017

Yes I’ve had a facelift, but who hasn’t?, 501 (c) 3 Foundation, Los Angeles, CA

Ecotone, Curated by Eushavia Bogan and Clemence White, New York, NY

Fort Gansevoort, NADA NYC, New York, NY

2016

öhlin/d, Pier 59, New York, NY

2014

Domain of a Partial Function, Helper, Brooklyn, NY

Speculum, Helper, Brooklyn, NY

You wanna be Loved, FerroStrouse, Brooklyn, NY

Porcher, Helper, Brooklyn, NY

Zusi Graham, Cologne, GE

BIBLIOGRAPHY

2024

"Wallpaper* USA 400: meet the people shaping Creative America in 2024," Wallpaper, August, 2024

Beall, Kelly, "Petra Opens the Door to an Artistic Hardware Scene at NYCxDESIGN," Design/Milk, June 18, 2024

Vadnal, Julie, "Meet Petra, Where The Cool Kids Buy Their Cabinet Hardware," Domino, May 17, 2024

Volner, Ian, "A Handles-and-Knobs Start-up by Sight Unseen's Monica Khemsurov," Curbed, May 13, 2024

Armstrong, Annie, "Here Are the Dealers and Artists Making Big Debuts Amid Frieze New York," Artnet, May 3, 2024

Bhoot, Mrinmayee, "International Objects' exhibition puts American culture’s ‘Extra Taste’ on display," Stirpad, April 10, 2024

2023

Baldock, Clara, "Seven stonking stocking fillers," Financial Times, December 12, 2023

Patalay, Ajesh, "The artists putting the 'ooh' in food," Financial Times, November 24, 2023

Howard, Jason, "Charity Begins at Home," Town & Country, November 5, 2023

Kelly, Jordan, "Cafe Forgot," Office Magazine, November 4, 2023

Sartin, Clare, "19 of the best knobs and handles to update cupboards," Elle Decoration UK, October 15, 2023

Baldock, Clara, "The FInd," HTSI Autumn Design Special, Financial Times, October 14, 2023

Lubow, Arthur, "Ann Philbin's Subtle Touch," W Magazine, March 15, 2023

Morby, Alice, "Vero Opens Doors to its First Permanent Store," HYPEBEAST, February 15, 2023

Macalister-Smith, Tilly, "A guide to the finest fashion stores New York has to offer," Wallpaper, February 12, 2023

2022

Gardere, Anna and Bellanger, Raphaelle, KIDZ PARIS, pg. 298-303, 2022

Khemsurov, Monica and Singer, Jill, "How to Live with Objects," Clarkson Potter/ Publishers, New York, pg. 111, 116, 2022

Morby, Alice, "Sam Stewart Disguises Outdoor Furniture Set as Simple Garden Shed," HYPEBEAST, November 22, 2022

Dallorso, Elena and Raggi, Valentina, "Inventario LETTI," Architectural Digest Italy, November, 2022

Duran, Maximiliano, "Worlds Collide as Galleries Converge for an Art and Design Fair in the Heart of Paris," ARTnews, October 20, 2022

Rigou, Vasia, "Thought-Provoking Design That Prompts Real-Life Observations: A Review of Sam Stewart at Volume Gallery," New City, September 21, 2022

Santiago, Sean and Okhio, Camille, The 10 Milan Design Week Debuts We Can't Stop Thinking About, Elle Decor, June 13, 2022

Morby, Alice, The HYPEBEAST Guide to Milan Design Week 2022, HYPEBEAST

Todd, Laura May, Salone del Mobile 2022: Where to go and what to see during Milan Design Week, Architectural Digest India, May 26, 2022

Morby, Alice, "Vero is Ushering in a "New Era of Italian Design," HYPEBEAST, April 20, 2022

Beall, Kelly, "Vero Is a New Era of Italian Design," Design Milk, April 19, 2022

Bertoli, Rosa, "Door handles and knobs: latest designs for quick home updates," Wallpaper Magazine, April 1, 2022

Kean, Ruby, "The List by Ruby Kean: LA Art Week," A Hotel Life, February 15, 2022

2021

"Three objects that define design right now," The Edge/Design Miami, December, 2021

"Keywords / The Designer Sam Stewart," PIN-UP, PIN-UP 31, Pgs. 76, 77, F/W 21/22

"Tamago-iro," Lula Japan, Issue 15, Pgs. 84, 85, Fall / Winter, 2021

Parkes, James, "Sunnei transforms former recording studio into fashion brand HQ in Milan," Dezeen, October 14, 2021

Kelly, Jordan, "Cafe Forgot," Office Magazine, July 19, 2021

2020

Klein, Kristine, “Bright Yellow Friedman Benda Exhibition Explores Comfort in Furniture,” Dezeen, January 15, 2020

Martin, Hannah, “Apartamento’s Cofounder Curated a Show All About Comfort,” Architectural Digest PRO, January 10, 2020

Juxtapoz Magazine, “Useless Flowers: Caitlin MacBride & Sam Stewart @ Fisher Parrish, Brooklyn NY,” February, 21, 2020

Gosling, Emily, “How a radical Christian sect inspired two very different contemporary artists,” Creative Boom, March 18, 2020

Sussmums, Zoe, “How Designer Sam Stewart is Coping at Home,’ Architectural Digest, April 27, 2020

Contemporary Art Daily, “Sam Stewart, Caitlin MacBride at Fisher Parrish,” April, 29th, 2020

Wagoner, Mackenzie, “Looking Microscopically: Designer Sam Stewart’s Democratic Eye,” Vince. Journal, August, 1, 2020

Sidhu, TJ, “KIT OUT YOUR GAFF,” The Face Magazine, Autumn 2020

Felix Burrichter, "Hypertension," Hybrid Design, Powerhouse Publishing, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Ed. 500, Autumn 2020

Hawkins, Laura, "Sunnei opens spacious Milan HQ in ex-recoding studio," Wallpaper Magazine, September 28, 2020

Rysman, Laura, "In a Vast Empty Swimming Pool, A Fashion Show," T: New York Times Style Magazine, September 29, 2020

2019

Olunkwa, Emmanuel, “The Object Talk: Sam Stewart,” Pioneer Works’ Broadcast, October 2019

Pinet, Sophie, “Quatre designers à la poursuite de l’étrange”, Architecture Digest France, Nov/Dec 2019

“Tone and Armor”, PIN-UP, PIN-UP 27, Page 79, Fall/Winter 2019/2020. ”Fairy Tales”, PIN-UP, PIN-UP 27, Page 95, Fall/Winter 2019/2020.

Ikeda, Momo, #Stylehint, Uniqlo Lifewear Magazine, Issue No. 1, Fall/Winter 2019

Newell-Hansen, Alice, “Their Friends Come for Dinner—and Remake Their Home”, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, October 10.

Sosa, Omar, “Asombro Cotidiano”, ICON Design El Pais, Issue No. 6, October 2019

Martin, Hannah. “The designer shares some of her clever tips and tricks when it comes to renovating and decorating Inside Ellen Van Dusen’s Colorful Brooklyn Brownstone”, Architectural Digest, July 8.

“I tubi di Sam Stewart per il Fuorisalone di Mango April 2019”, Icon Design, April.

Deutsch, Julia. “Sam Stewart x Mango”, Interview Magazine, April 17.

Wasserman, Sydney. “Stealing This Design Element From Meat Lockers”, Architectural Digest, February 19.

Ikeda, Momoko. “Sam Stewart Artist”, Popeye Magazine, January 8. Latterner, Timothy. “Sight Unseen Makes Its American Design

Hot List Shoppable in a partnershop with Moda Operandi”, Architectural Digest, January 7.

2018

Reynaert, Benjamin. “The Edit: 5 Stylish Designers Worth Knowing Now”, Elle Decor, November 1.

Singer, Jill. “Saturday Selects, Week of October 8, 2018”, Sight Unseen, October 14.

Keller, Hadley. “Plant Seven, a New Creative Space, Aims to Bring Small-Batch Design to High Point”, Oct 5.

Martin, Hannah. “A Once-Obsolete Design Object Emerges from the Ashes”, Architectural Digest, June 21.

Walker, Benjamin. “Real Costs Extra (False Alarm Part V)”, Benjamen Walker’s Theory of Everything Podcast, June 5.

“Issue 24: Spring Summer 2018”, PIN-UP, April.

Blouin, Artinfo. “Steven Learner, Collective Design Founder, Reveals What’s in Store at the Fair’s 2018 Edition”, BlouinArtInfo, March 9.

Martin, Hannah. “Why Are These Designers at the Armory Show?” Architectural Digest, March 9.

Bahn, Jenny. “In the Studio with Sam Stewart”, AlphaSixty, March 21.

Foy, Kenya. “This Bizarro New York City Apartment is Actually a Work of Art”, Apartment Therapy, March 19.

“Pictures at an Exhibition: Sam Stewart at Fort Gansevoort, New York”, ARTnews, March 19.

Biswas, Allie. “Sam Stewart: ‘From a psychological perspective, working in someone’s home is a loaded experience’”, Studio International, March 13.

Singer, Jill. “10 Things We Loved at the 2018 Collective Design Fair”, Sight Unseen, March 13.

Howarth, Dan. “Sam Stewart imagines furniture for fictional New York apartment occupant”, Dezeen Magazine, March 11.

Mohr, Ian. “Stars Descend Upon Hot Design Fair”, Page Six, March 10.

Howarth, Dan. “Eight Highlights from New York’s Collective Design Fair 2018”, Dezeen Magazine, March 9.

“Collective Design Fair 2018”, Surface Magazine, March 9.

“Sam Stewart si immagina gli effetti personali dello Yeti”, Domus, March 7.

Donoghue, Katie. “Collective Design 2018 Highlights Art & Design Hybrids”, Whitewall, March 6.

Bernstein, Fred A. “More Than Ever, This Year’s Collective Design Is Pushing Boundaries”, March 5.

Valette, Chloé. “Discoveries of the Week”, Husk, March 2.

Martin, Hannah. “Sam Stewart Rethinks the Slipcovered Chair” Architectural Digest, February 28.

Lakin, Max . “An Artist Invented a Mythical Beast Who Lives in This New York Townhouse”, Garage, February 27.

Santiago, Sean. “Tufted Beds and Treadmills: Sam Stewart’s Obsessive World-Making”, Sight Unseen, February 22.

Hirsch, Liz. “Both Sides Now”, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, February 18.

Graves, Cassidy Dawn. “Chapels, Cryptid, Self-Portraits”, BEDFORD + BOWERY, February 12

2017

Stegemoeller, Kristin. “BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE: SAM STEWART MAKES FURNITURE INTO ART”, PAPER Magazine, September 27.

Singer, Jill. “30 Artists and Galleries We Loved During New York Art Week 2017”, Sight Unseen, March 7.

2016

Moran, Justin. “Little Bo Peep at öhlin/d and Morrissey Inspo at Babyghost”, Bullett, February 15.

2014

Katie. “Trouble Light”, Better Living Through Design, June 26.

2013

Swider, Olivia. “Top NYC Exhibitions Opening This Week (May 20 – 24)”, Whitewall, May 22.