Where to Go and What to Read for Your Summer Design Fix


boston design calendar

Photograph by Mark Seelen

READ
Crème de La Crème

Design ideas abound in this large-format volume highlighting the most recent work of French interior designer Christian Liaigre, whose attention to detail and understanding of space and light have earned international recognition. Liaigre 12 Projects covers a dozen of the design powerhouse’s artfully reimagined spaces around the world.

Out 5/26, $135, Flammarion.

boston design calendar

courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts

SEE
Tidal Wave

Katsushika Hokusai, one of Japan’s most renowned artists, explored themes like nature and urban culture through his intricate paintings, woodblock prints, and other media. A new exhibit at the Museum of Fine Arts, which houses the largest collection of Japanese art outside the island nation, features work from each period in the artist’s prolific seven-decade career.

4/5–8/9, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, 617-267-9300, mfa.org.

boston design calendar

courtesy of the Lanoue Gallery

SEE
Pool Party

A self-taught artist based in California, Eric Zener uses mixed media to explore the concept of transformation in his resin-on-panel paintings. An exhibition of his work, including his signature paintings of swimmers underwater, will be on display at the Lanoue Gallery beginning in June.

6/5–7/11, 450 Harrison Ave., #31, Boston, 617-262-4400, lanouefineart.com.

boston design calendar

courtesy of ediciones polÍgrafa

READ
Primary Colors

Influenced by masters of cubism and surrealism, Joan Miró’s colorful work is dominated by abstract objects and geometric shapes. The Spanish artist received an honorary degree from Harvard in 1968 during his final visit to the United States. Miró Lithographs: Volume III, originally released in the late 1970s, highlights the internationally acclaimed prints he created from 1964 to 1969.

Out 6/23, $790, Ediciones Polígrafa.

More Exhibits

“Audacious: The Fine Art of Wood from the Montalto Bohlen Collection”

Local collectors Robert and Lillian Montalto Bohlen share nearly 100 pieces from their diverse collection of contemporary wood art at the Peabody Essex Museum.

Runs until 6/21, 161 Essex St., Salem, 978-745-9500, pem.org.

“Christopher Chiappa: Stasis Horror”

Mass MoCA presents a colorful installation of more than 80 Styrofoam stools, all of which were handcrafted and painted by Christopher Chiappa in an effort to explore modern genres and cartoon images.

Runs until 6/30, 1040 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, 413-662-2111, massmoca.org.

Xavier Rodes

Artist Xavier Rodes’s hyperreal oil-on-canvas paintings bring places like mountainous Europe and coastal Maine to life. In his second solo show at Axelle Galerie, the Barcelona native presents a new collection of seascapes, landscapes, and cityscapes that show off his signature approach to light and detail.

6/4–6/28, 173 Newbury St., Boston, 617-450-0700, axelle.com.

More Books

Andy Warhol: America

Known for his paintings and illustrations, Warhol was also an avid photographer. From paparazzi-style images of celebrities to snaps of the poor, America is a visual narrative of the country he so loved.

Out 6/9, $20, Grove Atlantic.

Jan Fabre: Tribute to Hieronymus Bosch in Congo (2011-2013)
Tribute to Belgian Congo (2010-2013)

Inspired by colonialism and Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch, Belgian artist Jan Fabre put together this two-volume tome showcasing the mosaics he created with a most unusual medium: beetle wing sheathes.

Out 5/26, $95, Skira.

Peter Rich: Learnt in Translation

South African architect Peter Rich reflects on his decades-long career of merging modernism with elements of indigenous tribal settlements in this hardcover monograph.

Out 7/7, $60, Skira.