Nicholas Shurey — Trio of Stools, Ziggy Pattern.
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
The assemblage Trio of Stools was conceived as a functional and adaptable artwork – existing both as a piece of sculpture, and as usable items of furniture. Designed and crafted by Nicholas Shurey, each piece features a striking surface pattern inspired by two iconic costumes; Bauhaus artist Oskar Schlemmer’s designs for the Triadic Ballet, and the Tokyo Vinyl Jumpsuit, designed by Kansai Yamamoto for David Bowie. As with the original garments, Trio of Stools employs form and pattern as artistic camouflage; a theatrical deception that obscures the subject and increases their spatial presence. The set is crafted in American walnut, with white markings by setting marine epoxy within routed grooves. Two of the stools also feature an ebonised finish that gives the walnut a deep black tone, whilst retaining its rich visible grain structure.
PROJECT QUOTE:
“I typically treat the surface of a sculpture as a canvas, subtly building up layers of finish to accentuate a form – darkening shadows and enhancing volume. This piece takes that approach to an extreme, using a vivid pattern to create a costume for these stools that amplifies their qualities and gives them a theatrical presence.”
Material and dimensions:
American walnut – ebonised and natural, white epoxy, oil wax.
Sculpture: 44 x 44 x 121cm
Stool: 35 x x 35 x 41.5cm
Year:
2026
PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
Benjamin Lund
LONG DESCRIPTION:
The stool has been a recurring subject of interest for the sculptor and furniture-maker Nicholas Shurey. As the most compact seating typology, and often arranged in multiples, they offer the perfect medium to intersect function and expression. Whereas most occasional seating or tables nest or stack to reduce their volume or hide from view, Shurey combines his stools – transforming them into sculptural, focal pieces. The process of stacking, inverting and arranging the stools heightens their sculptural qualities, resulting in adaptable compositions that belie their utilitarian purpose. While previous editions of Stool Assemblages have used subtle finishing techniques to accentuate their organic forms, Trio of Stools uses decoration to create a bolder, more striking visual dissonance that further obscures the stools’ function. Noting a resemblance between the ideation behind his forms and the sculptural costumes by the Bauhaus’ Oskar Schlemmer and Japanese designer Kansai Yamamoto, Shurey has playfully reproduced a pattern that features within both designers’ most iconic costumes. The voluminous, oversized limbs of both stool and garment alike, are further exaggerated by the concentric white arcs on black. As with the garments, this theatrical deception conceals the subject; the stool metamorphoses from a humble item of furniture, into a performer with spatial presence.
DESIGNER BIO:
Nicholas Shurey.
Sculptor & Furniture Maker, born 1987.
The Copenhagen based practice of British sculptor Nicholas Shurey explores the territory between functional object and sculpture. His pieces portray a deep interest in form, proportion and space, an understanding of which he built through his training as an architect and career as an interior architect. Shurey’s practice is deeply tactile and material-led; working primarily in solid wood, he creates hand-carved sculptures characterised by continuous, organic forms that feel at once familiar and abstract. Compressed volumes, flowing curves, and balanced masses often evoke the human figure without ever describing it directly. The result is sculpture that is both quietly monumental and deeply intimate, inviting touch while establishing a strong physical presence within a space. Whether conceived as a singular object or as part of a wider architectural setting, his sculptures and objects bring permanence and a sense of intrigue. It is for this reason that Shurey’s work is often commissioned for prestigious international hospitality, retail and residential interior projects.
EDUCATION:
2017: MA, Architectural Lighting Design, Royal Danish Academy, Denmark.
2010: BSc, Architecture, University of Bath, UK.
GRANTS & HONOURS:
2026: Project Grant, Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2019: Artistic Talent Grant, Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2017: Icopal Prize, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2017: Spirekasse Award, Boligfonden, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2016: Velux Daylight Award, Copenhagen, Denmark.
EXHIBITIONS:
2026: Group Exhibition, Display / Displayed, 3daysofdesign, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2026: Group Exhibition, ‘Objects That Speak’ with Rosewood, Milan Design Week, Milan, Italy.
COMMISSIONS:
2026: Cassina Residences, Tokyo, Japan.
2025: Poléne, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2025: The Chancery Rosewood, London, UK.
2024: The Manner Hotel, New York, USA.
2021: ASTEP, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2021: 505w19 Residences, New York, USA.
2020: Undercover / Jun Takahashi, Tokyo, Japan.
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