Bethan Laura Wood

Bethan Laura Wood
Born1983 (age 41–42)
EducationRoyal College of Art
University of Brighton

Bethan Laura Wood (born 1983)[1] is an internationally recognised English designer of jewellery, furniture, decorative objects, lighting and installations. She has designed for media such as glass, laminates wood veneer and ceramics. Work produced by her studio, WOOD London, is characterised by colour, geometry and visual metaphor,[2] pattern and marquetry. She has been described as "[re-contextualizing] ... elements from everyday objects, often focusing on the pattern and coloration of objects as indicators of their origins, production, and past usage."[1]

Early life and education

Wood was born in 1983 and grew up in Shropshire.[1]

She was diagnosed with dyslexia at sixth-form college.[3] She studied 3D design at Brighton University,[4] then studied at the Royal College of Art in 2007, tutored by Dutch designer Jurgen Bey and the Italian Martino Gamper.[5][6][7][8] While still a student, she founded her studio, "WOOD London", in 2009.[5][1]

Career

Wood has been commissioned by a variety of international companies to create works and installations, including Abet Laminati, Moroso, Valextra, Perrier Jouët, Bitossi Ceramiche, Tory Burch, cc-tapis, Tolix Rosenthal and Hermés.

Her work has been exhibited at the V&A Museum of Childhood, Swiss Institute Contemporary Art New York, Daelim Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.[9][10] She was a designer in residence at the London Design Museum.

Wood was named in the 20019 Wallpaper* Power 200, which ranks her "among the world's pre-eminent design talent".[11]

In February 2025, the Design Museum in London launched a new initiative called PLATFORM, "an annual display dedicated to showcasing contemporary design practice", the inaugural edition focusing on Wood's work and career.[12][13]

In 2025, Wood was invited to Japan to take part in the Tokai Project, the second edition of the Craft x Tech initiative.[14][15][16] The programme is an exploration of how traditional "aesthetic sensibilities embedded in Japanese craft can be reimagined through a thoughtful and skillful creative process" reinterpreted through the lens of contemporary design and technology.[17]

Awards

Year Award Category Piece Result
2019 German Design Awards Outstanding Product[18] Tongue with Rosenthal Won
The Design Museum Beazley Designs of the Year[19] Super Fake with CC-Tapis Nominated
EDIDA Design Awards[20] Floor Covering Super Fake with CC-Tapis Won
The ELLE Decoration British Design Awards[21] Floor Covering Won
The ELLE Decoration Japan EDIDA Design Award[22] Floor Covering Won
2017 The Design Prize Artist Realm[23] Nominated
2016 London Design Festival, London Design Medal[24] British Land Swarovski Emerging Talent Medal[7][25] Won
Hublot Design Prize[26] Finalist
2013 Design Miami Designer of the Future[27] Won
W Hotels Designers of the Future Award[28] Making Connections
2012 The Design Museum Design of the Year – Furniture Moon Rock[29] Nominated
Nominated

Accolades

  • 2025 - MECCA flagship acquisition commission - Criss Cross Kite Grande Dame chandelier
  • 2023 - National Galley of Victoria (Aus) NGV x MECCA Women in Design Commission – Kaleidoscope-o-Rama bookcase and Carpet  (acquired for permanent collection)
  • 2021 - Bitossi Museum – permanent collection - Guadalupe Vase & drawings
  • 2021 - The Art Institute of Chicago, acquired for Permanent Collection – Stain willow pattern
  • 2021 - San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Accessions Committee Fund Purchase criss cross Kite
  • 2020 - V & A – Toothpaste bag designed for Valextra (acquired for permanent collection).
  • 2019 - The Welcome Collection, Being Human – permanent gallery – commissioned project Epidemic Jukebox
  • 2019 – Judge for 2019 Dezeen Awards.[5]
  • 2013 – Abet Museum – Play time table purchased for permanent collection.
  • 2012 – MUDAC – Totem no.5 purchased for permanent collection.
  • 2012 – One of 850 alumni invited to Diamond jubilee Royal academy of Arts Gala in attendants of the Queen.

Select exhibitions

  • 2011 - Nilufar gallery during Salone del Mobile with pieces such as Totem, a lighting collection made from Pyrex in collaboration with master glass-blower Pietro Viero.[30]
  • 2013 - Aram Gallery – Solo show.[31]
  • 2014 - Kvadvat - Divina celebration exhibition, Milan Salone – Guadalupe Daybed
  • 2015 - Nilufar Gallery – Milan Salone exhibition - Temple Collection
  • 2015 - Tory Burch and Wallpaper*magazine - Touring Installation – Milan, Munich, New York - Canapé
  • 2016 - Designjunction – Dyslexic Design.[32]
  • 2016 - Nilufar Gallery – Salone Milan - CrissCross, Hula and Melon Tables
  • 2016: The British Land Celebration of Design awards exhibition in Broadgate, London.[7]
  • 2016: Friends + Design, SKD Museum, Dresden[33][34]
  • 2018 - Aram Gallery – Designers select designers.[35]
  • 2017 - Bijenkorf and Rijksmuseum Museum - Room on the Roof Residency Amsterdam – Afterparty Sweet Dreams in collaboration with the TextielMuseum, Tilburg
  • 2017 - Nilufar Gallery – Salone Milan - Trellis Collection
  • 2017 - G.F.Smith paper - Hull City of Culture – Seaweed kites installation
  • 2017 - Peter Pilotto - London Fashion week Commission Ready-to-Wear A/W 2017 Townhouse installation – Sputnik floor lamps
  • 2018 - Perrier-Jouët Champagne Collectors’ Lounge, Design Miami – Scenography - HyperNature Landscape
  • 2018 - Designart Tokyo Festival - Perrier-Jouët Champagne - Commission - HyperNature Sculpture
  • 2018 - Moroso – Milan Showroom solo installation for Salone - Mono Mania Mexico
  • 2018 - CC-Tapis - Rug Collection - Super Fake
  • 2018 - Valextra – SS18 collection installation - Toothpaste
  • 2018 - Perrier-Jouët Champagne Terrace Masterpiece – Scenography - HyperNature herbarium
  • 2019 - Solo Exhibition inaugurating new Nilufar 25 Exhibition Space, Milan - Details.
  • 2020 - V & A museum London  - Exhibition Bags: Inside Out - Toothpaste bag
  • 2021 - Dior, Miss Dior 12 women artists exhibition (named collaborator) – Flower Folly traveling exhibition
  • 2021 - Nilufar Gallery, Solo Show - Ornate – celebrating 10 years of collaboration with Nilufar Gallery – Ornate, Meisen, BonBon and Aperitivo.
  • 2021 - Dubai design week - Women in Design – Exhibition – Super Fake Rugs & Guest Speaker
  • 2022 - Nilufar Gallery,(IT) A summer Room – new works – Endless Meisen, Trellis column, totem no.11.
  • 2022 - San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (USA) – Convesation Pieces - Exhibition - Criss Cross Kite chandelier
  • 2022 - The Drawing Center NY  (USA) – The Clamor of the Ornament – Sketchbooks, Toothpaste handbags
  • 2022 - Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation (UK) Group show – Collaboration with Jochen Holz – Martino and Friends – Our Lady of Guadalope
  • 2022 - PAD london (UK) – Nilufar Gallery – Meisen Caterpillar
  • 2023 - National Galley of Victoria  (Aus) NGV x MECCA Women in Design Commission – Kaleidoscope-o-Rama bookcase and Carpet  (acquired for permanent collection)
  • 2024 - Nicoletta Fiorucci Foundation (UK)  Travelling Bluestocking Salon - Mother Tongue Presented by Nicoletta Fiorucci
  • 2024 - cc-tapis Headquarters (IT) - Travelling Bluestocking Salon - Salon Talk and installation
  • 2024 - Vitra Haus (Switzerland) Home sweet home - Group Bird house exhibition - Paradise Perch
  • 2024 - Nuovo gallery (HK) - Solo Exhibition As seem Though the lens of Nilufar and cc-tapis - Multiple Furniture, lighting and carpets pieces
  • 2025: Platform, Design Museum, London[12][13]
  • 2025 - Byredo Takeover (IT) - (named collaborator), THE KIOSK, THE CARGO BIKE, BYREDO MILAN FLAGSHIP
  • 2025 -Triennale Milano (IT) 24th International Exhibition, titled Inequalities - group show - Olive Mirror

Collections

Wood's works can be found in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London,[36] the Wellcome Collection in London[37] and the Abet Laminate Museum in Italy.[38]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Bethan Laura Wood". Pamono. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  2. ^ McCann, Paul (9 November 2011). "How Bethan Laura Wood and Abet Laminati created a two-part coffee table". wallpaper.com.
  3. ^ Love, Emma; Treggiden, Katie (21 January 2017). "The future's bright: 2017's biggest new design talents". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  4. ^ RYDER, BETHAN (Spring 2018). "Bethan Laura Wood on the creative inspiration behind her Hackney design studio". The Glossary.
  5. ^ a b c "Dezeen Awards 2019". Dezeen. 2019.
  6. ^ Pippa, Brooks (12 August 2017). "The Wylde Interview: Bethan Laura Wood". Wylde.
  7. ^ a b c MORRIS, Tom (12 September 2016). "Is Bethan Laura Wood British Design's Brightest New Spark?". Newsweek.
  8. ^ Conlon, Scarlett (23 May 2020). "Rhapsody in blue: a Milanese apartment". The Guardian.
  9. ^ "Gallery Talk: Bethan Laura Wood". August 2020.
  10. ^ "Rijksstudio Award 2020 The international design competition of the Rijksmuseum". 9 August 2020.
  11. ^ "Bethan Laura Wood". Wallpaper Magazine. 20 September 2019.
  12. ^ a b "PLATFORM: Bethan Laura Wood". Design Museum. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  13. ^ a b "Bethan Laura Wood's first solo UK museum show is a "living body of work"". Dezeen. 18 February 2025. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  14. ^ Di Drusco, Fabia (30 September 2025). "Bethan Wood e la mostra al Design Museum di Londra: 'Il design è il mio mondo'" [Bethan Wood on her London Design Museum exhibition: 'design is my world']. L'Officiel Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  15. ^ "Why you're about to fall in love with Japanese design all over again". ELLE Decoration. 24 February 2025. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  16. ^ "Craft x Tech Announces Collaborating Creators for its 2ND Edition 'CRAFT X TECH TOKAI PROJECT'". Craft x Tech. Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  17. ^ "Craft x Tech - Unifying Japanese Craft and Contemporary Technology". Craft x Tech. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
  18. ^ "Rosenthal x Bethan Laura Wood: Bauhaus inspired art of weaving". 17 February 2020.
  19. ^ "Beazley Designs of the Year 2019 shortlist announced". Wallpaper. 10 September 2019.
  20. ^ "SUPER ROUND". EDIDA Awards. 2019.
  21. ^ "THE ELLE DECORATION BRITISH DESIGN AWARDS 2019 – WINNERS!". Elle Decoration. 6 December 2018.
  22. ^ "EDIDA JAPAN* WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT". 1 November 2018.
  23. ^ "and THE DESIGN PRIZE winner is... report from the award ceremony in milan". designboom. 14 April 2017.
  24. ^ "London Design Festival 2016 Medal Winners". londondesignfestival.com. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  25. ^ GRIFFITHS, ALYN (20 September 2016). "Sir Kenneth Grange, Bethan Laura Wood, David Adjaye and Daan Roosegaarde win London Design Medals 2016". Wallpaper*. W*211.
  26. ^ "Second round of the Hublot Design Prize". World Tempus. 10 June 2015.
  27. ^ "Designers of the Future". Domus. 18 June 2013.
  28. ^ THOMPSON, HENRIETTA (15 April 2013). "Winners announced for the W Hotels Designers of the Future Award 2013". Wallpaper*.
  29. ^ Etherington, Rose (11 January 2012). "Design Museum announce shortlist for Designs of the Year 2012". Dezeen.
  30. ^ "TALKING COLOUR WITH BETHAN LAURA WOOD". Livingetc. 28 September 2019.
  31. ^ Browne, Alix (23 July 2013). "Bethan Laura Wood: Designer of the Future".
  32. ^ Morris, Tom (12 December 2016). "Is Bethan Laura Wood British Design's Brightest New Spark?". Newsweek. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  33. ^ "Friends+Design by Maria Cristina Didero and Tulga Beyerle". Domus. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  34. ^ "Kunstgewerbemuseum: Friends + Design". SKD Museum. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
  35. ^ Yalcinkaya, Gunseli (13 March 2018). "Thomas Heatherwick, Bethan Laura Wood and more nominate emerging designers for Aram Gallery exhibition". Dezeen. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  36. ^ "Search the Collections". Victoria & Albert Museum Collections. 2 May 2020.
  37. ^ "Being Human". Wellcome Collection.
  38. ^ "Museo Abet Laminati" (PDF). Abet Laminati. 2016.
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