Kudos from The Australian | 20 Objects 0f Desire:
14. Gary Galego’s Leve chair
2002The chair is beautifully expressive of its material and it’s no surprise that Galego studied the manipulation of wood and plywood. The chair is crafted from steamed bentwood components. It absolutely expresses its material, testing it to its limits, resulting in a finely sprung chair that is light, comfortable and elegant. The version that has a leather skin vacuum-formed to its seat (like Batman’s rubber suit) is deliciously sexy. Not only designed in Australia, the chair is also manufactured here by Woodmark. It’s beautiful to look at and beautiful to touch. Sophisticated and made in a timber tradition that defines much of Australia’s design history.
Woodmark about Gary Galego:
In the tradition of Hans J. Wegner, 26-year-old Sydney-based designer, Gary Galego has quickly secured a reputation for outstanding chair design. His furniture is distinguished by excellent craftsmanship, upholding a complete understanding of the materials used and the functions of furniture in human life.
After two years studying Industrial Design at the University of NSW, Gary switched to Canberra’s School of Art, where he completed a Diploma in Fine Art specialising in the manipulation of wood/plywood as the medium for his furniture designs.
“My time at the school enabled me to see beyond the traditional confines of the craft and allowed me to develop an intuitive and creative approach to the potential of timber as a medium for functional and aesthetic expression,” he recalls.
In 2002, Gary’s furniture was represented at the Sydney International Furniture Show, DesignEx in Sydney and Furnitex in Melbourne, and in 2003 he exhibited at Salone Satellite at Milan’s International Furniture Fair. His designs have been endorsed by modern design luminaries including Harry Seidler and Glenn Murcutt, and Gary was a finalist in the Sydney Morning Herald Young Designer of the Year in 2002 and the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery program in 2004.
Gary was introduced to Woodmark by Karina Clarke, a lecturer at Sydney’s College of Fine Arts, at a time when Gary was trying to find the right company to start producing his designs commercially.
About Gary Galego
Gary was impressed with the expertise and passion for furniture displayed by Woodmark’s team while resolving details for production, and their willingness to work closely with him to achieve the exact detail and level of quality he expected. “I am thrilled to have been able to hook up with Woodmark as the manufacturer of product I’ve designed”, he said.
His intention is to produce designs with forms that transcend time, and which are a continued source of admiration. “My products combine materials which have similar elements of integrity, perceived quality and depth of character,” he says.
Woodmark about the Leve Chair:
Simple yet expressive, Gary’s Leve chair represents an original and sophisticated design solution. The chair’s beautiful proportions make it appealingly tactile, but more practically, they also serve as a means of supporting the body comfortably.
The beautiful finish and high degree of detailing give what is essentially a manufactured product a hand-crafted appeal.
The Leve chair is available in European ash or European ash with a moulded leather seat and back, and is suited to almost any indoor, domestic or commercial, environment that requires an elegant yet contemporary timber chair.
