Architecture and Design Collectors' Council 2024 Design Acquisitions

In April 2024, the Architecture and Design Collectors’ Council—which collaborates with the Curator of Architecture and Design to help the Denver Art Museum acquire outstanding examples of design—held its fourth annual meeting. Thanks to the generosity of the council, two exceptional works were selected to join the museum’s collection, ensuring these objects will play an integral role in our initiatives and exhibitions in the years to come.

In addition to these two acquisitions, several other imaginative works joined the collection in 2024, thanks to the support of numerous donors. Together, these works reflect a dynamic convergence of sustainability, cultural heritage, and innovative use of materials— powerful themes that both shape the history of design and guide the Architecture and Design department’s collecting strategies. Each of these works embodies the powerful stories that design can convey. Learn more about these exciting additions to the collection below.

If you are interested in learning more about this special Collectors’ Group, please read more or contact Ustina Tawadros at utawadros@denverartmuseum.org.

A wood chair with a drum set and horse — Jay Sae Jung Oh, *Salvage Series Chair*, 2024. Plastic, wood, and metal objects (drums, viola, violin, saxophone, trumpet, horse, train, xylophone, speaker, champagne box, razor scooter, clarinet, guitar, ukulele, briefcase, toy phone, toy vacuum, rocking horse, car, piggy bank), plywood base, adhesive, natural leather cord, and leather finisher; 37 × 42 1/2 × 36 1/2 in. Denver Art Museum: Funds from the Architecture and Design Collectors’ Council, 2024.243. © Jay Sae Jung Oh. Photo courtesy of the artist and Salon 94 Design.

Jay Sae Jung Oh
Salvage Series Chair, 2024

Seattle-based Korean designer Jay Sae Jung Oh’s Salvage Series Chair combines reclaimed, mass-produced objects with labor-intensive craftsmanship to comment on cultural ideas of value, consumption, and environmental responsibility. The chair is constructed from an eclectic collection of discarded musical instruments and everyday items—such as drums, a trumpet, a ukulele, and even a toy vacuum—all meticulously wrapped by hand in natural leather cord. Oh’s wrapping technique transforms these individual objects into a cohesive sculptural form, thus inviting us to reconsider the potential of discarded materials, questioning what we deem valuable and what we cast aside. Through this process, Oh challenges our perceptions of beauty, memory, and the passage of time, reminding us of the emotional resonance embedded within objects that might otherwise become waste.

a group of 3 green rugs that look like grass and land — Alexandra Kehayoglou, *Bajío* (Lowland), 2024. Hand-tufted wool. Denver Art Museum: Funds from Collectors' Choice 41 and the Architecture and Design Collectors' Council with generous gifts from Amanda Precourt, Marilyn Carol and Robert Weaver, and Nancy Leprino, 2024.115. © Alexandra Kehayoglou. Photo by Francisco Nocito, from Alexandra Kehayoglou Studio.

Alexandra Kehayoglou
Bajío (Lowland), 2024

Recently on view in the exhibition Biophilia: Nature Reimagined, Argentine textile artist Alexandra Kehayoglou’s Bajío is a lush, hand-tufted carpet that captures an endangered ecosystem in her native Argentina. Meaning “lowlands” in Spanish, Bajío represents a fragment of the Paraná River Delta, a biodiverse wetland near Buenos Aires. Informed by Kehayoglou’s firsthand experience living in the region during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bajío draws attention to the impact of urban growth, unsustainable agricultural practices, and climate change on this fragile environment. Through this work, Kehayoglou highlights the beauty and significance of safeguarding her homeland’s ecological resources. “If activism has the task of ringing the alarm, art and design can offer ways to connect us with something beyond. Something more spiritual,” Kehayoglou explains. “We must hold on to hope . . . hope offers a path forward.” Learn more about Bajío in the Biophilia: Nature Reimagined free digital catalog.

a mint-colored chair — Max Lamb, *Scrap Poly Armchair*, 2024. Polystyrene and rubber polymer; 37 1/8 × 33 1/4 × 23 3/4 in. Denver Art Museum: Funds from Design Council of the Denver Art Museum, 2024.221. © Max Lamb. Photo by Matthew Praley, courtesy of the artist and Salon 94 Design.

Max Lamb
Scrap Poly Armchair, 2024

British designer Max Lamb explores material and form in his Scrap Poly Armchair, challenging traditional aesthetic and structural expectations. Constructed from scraps of lightweight polystyrene accumulated from previous projects, the chair is coated in durable mint green polyurethane. Despite its somewhat precarious appearance and the differing shapes and sizes of its components, Lamb ensures a perfectly level and stable seat. Originally using polystyrene for prototyping, Lamb now embraces it as a primary medium, transforming what might otherwise be discarded into functional, durable furniture. Scrap Poly Armchair reflects his belief in the value of unexpected materials and highlights his commitment to rethinking waste, craftsmanship, and sustainability in design.

two wooden chairs side by side — Cristián Mohaded, *Toribio* and *Alcira Throne Chairs*, 2021. Carob and anchico wood, raw leather, and rope. Denver Art Museum: Funds from Design Council of the Denver Art Museum, 2024.205.1-2. © Cristián Mohaded. Photo by Manuel Mazzaro, courtesy of Mohaded Studio.

Cristián Mohaded
Toribio & Alcira Throne Chairs, 2021

Argentine designer Cristián Mohaded created Toribio & Alcira as a tribute to his heritage and the craft traditions of Catamarca, Argentina, where he was born. Named after his maternal grandparents, these high-back chairs are crafted from white carob wood, a material traditionally used by local artisans for its strength and beauty. Mohaded’s design incorporates the distinctive sawtooth ornamentation of Argentinean vernacular furniture, reimagined in a form that blends cultural heritage with contemporary design. Inspired by European influences, including the high-back chairs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Wiener Werkstätte, Toribio & Alcira embodies Mohaded’s dedication to promoting Argentine craftsmanship on a global stage, bridging past and present in a uniquely forward-thinking manner.

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