a collection of curves
mark qualizza
on view in gallery: january 19 - february 16, 2023
opening reception: 6:00p - 8:00p, january 19
ccbc shop & gallery
A Collection of Curves is a group of furniture designed to enhance your every day space. Curves soften a piece, add texture and invite curiosity. These pieces are intentionally playful, thoughtful and a provocation of traditional furniture design. Furniture that we see and touch every day should be elegant and functional, this show is a celebration of our everyday space.
This collection is inspired by other makers who are moving into the circular economy, towards sustainability and a sense of permanence. Bringing back multi-generational furniture that are legacy pieces, treasured, loved and something that will be passed along. Not discarded. The artist is driven by a commitment to make sustainable, well-crafted furniture and is engaged in the entire product cycle, from sourcing wood personally, to design and build. Custom furniture stays with you for a lifetime.
The Wave Table is the signature piece of this show, the anchor. It is both a dining room table and a board room table. Perhaps it is a desk. A cantilevered tapered Black Limba table top, anchored to a White Ash base. The base is hand carved to reflect a wave, burnt using the traditional Japanese treatment called, Shou Sugi Ban.
Mark Qualizza tells us about his Wave Table, featured in the exhibition:
“The Wave Table came alive from an afternoon of sketching waves when one of them caught my eye, and felt like the perfect base for a table. From that idea, I couldn’t do anything but bring this table to life.
The Ash came from Eastern Quebec at a time when there was a bug infestation, they were harvesting their Ash as a result, and I purchased a lift before it was destroyed.
Black Limba was a personal choice, it is a product that is very workable, and is easily tracked for sustainability and ethical harvesting. I first started working with Limba when I discovered that Gibson’s Guitars makes the bodies of their guitars out of Limba and Black Limba.”
Mark Qualizza is a Canadian studio furniture maker, residing within the traditional territory of the Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi’it, in Fernie, British Columbia. Mark started his career in Victoria, working with a master tradesman doing cove and cornice work in heritage homes along the coast. It is where he first saw the impact of how a simple curve as a design element could enhance an ordinary space.
Today he lives with his wife and daughters in Fernie, working with clients to create furniture that makes your living areas shine bright with elegance and functional design for everyday life.
Mark is involved in every aspect of his projects, and hand chooses his wood carefully with attention to functional application and beauty.