Being advocates of ping pong design, Wallpaper* was thrilled to hear about an annual charity auction, selling bespoke artist-designed table tennis paddles as part of an exhibition called 'The Art of Ping Pong'.
Throughout November, the public are invited to purchase the bats – on show at the London outpost of KK Outlet gallery – in an eBay-style online bidding. The project is the brainchild of design agency Fivefootsix, who have welcomed a mix of new talent and established artists to be inspired by the game and create imaginative forms on the bats.
Now in its third (and most star-studded) year, the playfully eclectic set ranges from Noma Bar's ambiguous human face hidden in a variety of ping pong motifs, through Marion Deuchars’ sweetly simplistic bird design, to Supermundane's and Malika Favre’s combination of pop art and vibrantly graphic styles. Adding wit to the collection is British artist Anthony Burrill’s typographic and humorous ‘No Ping No Pong’; while Paul Catherall's geometric aesthetic resonates in the abstract shapes of his hand painted design.
Fivefootsix also gave a student from London Met's Cass faculty of art, design and architecture an opportunity to design a paddle in a competition. Winner João Cardoso decided on a whimsical flip-flop shoe, complete with straps and imprinted base.
Previous years have seen even more animated forms including floral prints by Matthew Green, a carved smiling ice cream by Malarky and a cartoon fried egg by Daniel Frost.
Act fast if you want to get your hands on one of these fun pieces – bidding ends on 30 November, with all proceeds to be donated to BBC Children in Need. For those always on the go, Fivefootsix have also introduced a bidding app – developed by Roll Studio – so there is no excuse to not get in the game.
ping pong design KK Outlet gallery
The project is the brainchild of design agency Fivefootsix, who have invited a mix of new talent and established artists to design the bats. Pictured left: a kinetically lurid Craig & Karl design. Right: Julie Hyld's floral imagery is particularly delicate
Pictured left: Noma Bar's ambiguous human face, hidden in a variety of ping pong motifs. Right: Marion Deuchars' sweetly simplistic bird design
Pictured left to right: designs by Asako Masunouchi, Petra Börner and Kids With Puns
Pictured left: Cass student João Cardoso's whimsical flip-flop. Right: Jordy van den Nieuwendijk's colourful paddle
Pop art meets graphic design with Supermundane's (left) and Malika Favre's (right) prints
Pictured left: Kate Forrester's marquetry design. Right: Luke Dixon's intricate artwork
Pictured left: a cubist design by Lynnie Zulu. Right: Elliot Kruszynski's animated print
Bidding ends on 30 November, with all proceeds to be donated to BBC Children in Need. Pictured left: galactic print by Owen Gildersleeve. Right: Peter Judson's referential table tennis sketch
Pictured left: more table tennis motifs are found in Toby Melville-Brown's design. Right: Claudine O’Sullivan's abstract, primal artwork
INFORMATION
’The Art of Ping Pong’ is on view until 25 November. The auction runs until 30 November at ’The Art of Ping Pong’’s website
ADDRESS
KK Outlet
42 Hoxton Square
London, N1 6PB
-
Clocking on: the bedside analogue timepieces that won’t alarm your aestheticWe track down the only tick-tocks that matter, nine traditional alarm clocks that tell the time with minimum fuss and maximum visual impact
-
Architecture, sculpture and materials: female Lithuanian artists are celebrated in NîmesThe Carré d'Art in Nîmes, France, spotlights the work of Aleksandra Kasuba and Marija Olšauskaitė, as part of a nationwide celebration of Lithuanian culture
-
‘There is more work to be done in the garden’: Dries Van Noten on deciding to grow his burgeoning beauty lineFor Dries Van Noten, 2024 has been a landmark year. After stepping down from fashion in June, the designer speaks to Wallpaper* about a new focus on nurturing the brand’s beauty line and spending more time in his beloved garden
