Known for incorporating cultural narratives into her collections, Bethan Gray is an award-winning designer whose work is imbued with the compelling stories that inspire her and the nature that surrounds her. This month, Lane Crawford launches three of her collections, available now in store or online, demonstrating how Gray works with esteemed craftsmen in the industry to create innovative designs that are both flawlessly crafted and beautifully designed.
For The Shamsian Collection, Gray collaborated with master craftsman Mohammad Reza Shamsian and his Muscat-based artisans. The seemingly overlapping pattern, reminiscent of scales on a fish or overlapping shells, was constructed by hand using the ancient technique of 16th-century marquetry. Each of the individual petals is a separate piece of Italian dyed veneer, artfully put together with the finest natural materials including marble, hand-stained maple and brass. For this collection, Gray took inspiration from the Nizwa fort in Oman. The way that sunlight fell across the castellations of the fort inspired the eye-catching gradient, where a deep, luscious green flawlessly blends into a vibrant turquoise before finally fusing into a creamy pistachio-mint. To finish, each petal is delicately outlined by gleaming brass, the glowing twinkle reminiscent of the sun streaming between the castellations of the fort.
Bethan recalls being drawn to the outdoors from a very young age, “I have a natural affinity to it. I loved spending time outside in nature.” From the fluid shapes of sailboats in the wind which inspired her Dhow pattern in the Lustre collection, to the materials she uses that make up the bulk of her works, Mother Nature’s influential force is evident. And sustainable practices lie at the root of everything that Gray does. Working with Nature Squared on her Explore Eden Collection, Bethan empowers underdeveloped communities in the Philippines by monetising their waste, such as the leftover shells from scallops they catch. Using these shells, Bethan and her team created the Pink Scallop Shell Desk. Soft pink shells form zig-zag lines, creating a striking geometric contrast against the black marble, for an unexpectedly contemporary feel. Gray sources her mother-of-pearl from leftover oyster shells from pearl farms, while her capiz shells, often coined the ‘bamboo of the seaworld,’ are grown in abundance and harvested sustainably.
With a focus on natural materials and sustainable practices, Bethan Gray blends contemporary design and cutting-edge technology with traditional techniques. With a dazzling array of stunningly intricate and seamlessly handcrafted works, her collections are nothing short of works of art.
Editor
Carina Fischer
