One to Watch: designer Valerie Name infuses contemporary objects and spaces with historical detail

Debuted at the Art Athina Fair in late September 2024, the Naos Stool Collection distils the fundamental golden ratio proportioning of Greek columns. These sometimes seats and occasional side tables – developed with Athens-based Studio Mare – are rendered in solid mahogany, with upholstered cushions. They have intricately hand-formed ceramic buttons that appear to have chipped off an ancient fresco with symbolic motifs such as Odysseus and the Ram or the Akrokeramo. These are the works of multidisciplinary designer Valerie Name, who has arrived at design via fashion, where she designed a limited edition outerwear collection for Bergdorf Goodman.

Get to know Valerie Name, a historically inspired contemporary designer

The Caracas-born, New York- and Athens-based up-and-comer centres her work on finding clever ways to channel historical references, giving fresh relevance to the age-old, even ancient, handicraft techniques. Whether outfitting an interior or crafting distinctive luminaires, such as the Scavo Glass lighting series, Name roots her experimental spirit in a deep appreciation for the practices that have transcended time.

‘Time is the biggest challenge,’ she says. ‘Today, we are so accustomed to the immediacy of delivering objects, and general expectations can be quite demanding. Some clients initially expect quick results, but once they are brought into the process and see all the steps involved in creating such intricate pieces, they gain a newfound respect for the craftsmanship behind it, and their outlook shifts.’

For Name, there's an allure to resurrecting processes that haven't been used in centuries. The mystery of the unknown can be a powerful tool in holding our attention, especially in such an image-saturated world.

After periods of intensive and discursive research, much of which happens in Greece, Name seeks out skilled artisans upholding these age-old handicrafts and convinces them to break tradition just a bit, nudging them to apply their expertise to new formats. They ultimately forge a close bond and achieve a shared goal.

‘It’s an honour to learn from craftspeople that keep alive techniques that were once prevalent,’ she says. ‘By reinterpreting these age-old methods in a contemporary context, we preserve a cultural legacy while creating pieces that speak to today's world.

‘The connection to craftsmanship, rooted in patience, precision, and a deep respect for materials, infuses each project with a sense of timelessness.’ She often cites the Greco-Roman concept of Spoliā – taking an element out of one context and placing it in another – as a driving force.

Also presented during the Art Athina Fair in September, the Scavo Glass collection is derived from a deliberate and unrushed process. It began with Name stumbling upon a small glass vessel in a Swiss gallery and being drawn to its textured, weatherworn appearance.

‘I couldn’t tell whether it was from the third century or the 1920s,' she says. ’I investigated its origin and discovered that this level of patination resulted from the blown glass having spent centuries underground and before being exhumed. “Scavo” means excavation in Italian.’

After consulting a colleague, she decided to translate this ancient technique and turn the resulting glass vessels into an idiosyncratic lighting collection. After a year of experimentation with minerals, proportions, and colours, she and her collaborators arrived at the desired, if ever-evolving, outcome.

'What's most beautiful and exciting about this process is that the materials themselves ultimately determine the outcome, keeping us on our toes every time we start a piece,' she concludes. 'The language we developed will carry through to an ongoing series of lighting and furniture pieces.'

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