Charlie Dumais, co-founder of Litchfield-based ceramics studio, Dumais Made, offers an intimate look into his creative practice with 31 DAYS, on view at 195 Chrystie Street during New York Design Week, May 15-17, 2024. The exhibition, born from a resolution to return and recommit to creating, represents an inspiring journey for Charlie who sought to reintegrate the cherished ritual of making back into his daily life, and committed to craft a pair of lamps each day for thirty-one days.
Founded by Charlie and Kevin Dumais in 2017, Dumais Made began as a hobby, a small series of lamps conceived by Charlie outside his work as a lighting designer. Since then, Dumais Made has grown and evolved – a team of six now produces lamps, pendants, sconces, tables, mirrors and other accessories. While Charlie has remained hands-on in the studio’s production, his role has evolved to meet the demands of running the studio. At the start of 2024, he set out to reconnect with the artistic practice that Dumais Made was founded on and resolved to make a pair of lamps every day for one month with no purpose or intent other than to create.
“The nature of running a creative business is often a balancing act, one that I think many designers and other creators relate to. Making the commitment – and holding myself to it – was an experience that was at times challenging, but ultimately rewarding and creatively restorative” says Charlie.
The resulting collection of 62 works includes wide-ranging forms and inspirations from Charlie’s early influences as a designer, to iconic mid-century forms and Brutalist architecture. The determination to create everyday, while also allowing himself space to create without expectation or objective, was both rigorous and freeing. The process led Charlie to experiment with new techniques involving various forms of ropes, chains, and power line insulators, as well as new glazing processes. Departing from the norm, Charlie utilized underglaze instead of regular glaze and incorporated unconventional materials like rope sourced from a fellow artist.
Many of the forms, textures, and glazes produced over the course of the project represent exciting new directions for Charlie’s practice with the potential to be integrated into Dumais Made’s future collections. Not all lamps created over the course of 31 DAYS were equally successful – some pieces cracked in their ring, others showing imperfections born from experimentation. The exhibition places the lows as well as the highs on equal display, offering an inspiring and authentic look at the creative process.
31 DAYS stands as a testament to Charlie Dumais’ playful dedication to craftsmanship, innovation, and the perpetual journey of creative exploration.
