BETHAN LAURA WOOD
SHRINE 2012
TURNED & LACQUERED WOOD WITH BRASS & WOOD BASE
H 79.2 cm W 30 D 24 cm
UNIQUE
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Bethan Laura Wood has run a multidisciplinary studio since 2009 characterised by materials investigation, artisan collaboration and a passion for colour and detail. Residencies and location-based projects have become an important factor in her design process, often working in response to her location, in collaboration with local manufacturers, or reflecting back into her work the visual and material culture particular to that area. Bethan is fascinated by the connections we make with the everyday objects that surround us and, as a collector herself, likes to explore what drives people to hold onto one particular object while discarding another. Bethan explores these relationships and questions how they might become cultural conduits. She is interested in critical approaches to achieving sustainability within mass consumption and the production-driven context of the design industry.
Bethan Laura Wood obtained an MA in Design Products at the Royal College of Art, under the tuition of Jurgen Bey and Martino Gamper. Since 2011 she has worked with the prestigious Nilufar Gallery to showcase her self-directed, limited-edition and one-off works. Bethan has been commissioned by and produced named collaborations with a variety of international partners including: Perrier–Jouët, Rosenthal, Abet Laminati, Moroso, Valextra, Kvadrat, Bitossi Ceramiche, Design Miami, Tory Burch, CC-Tapis, Tolix Peter Pilotto, 1882 Ltd, Wonderglass, CC-Tapis, Hermes and Dior. Her work has been exhibited in institutions including: Victoria and Albert Museum; Swiss Institute New York; Daelim Museum, Seoul; Museum of Contemporary Art, MOT, Tokyo; ICA London and the Design Museum London. Bethan has works included in the permanent collections of Wellcome Collection, London (Epidemic Jukebox in partnership with Kin design); V&A, London (Toothpaste bag for Valextra); Dresden State Art Collections, Germany (Friends bed); Abet Laminate Museum, Italy (Playtime table); and Mudac, Switzerland (Totem No.5) and The Art Institute of Chicago (Stain), SFMOMA (Criss Cross Kite), and National Gallery of Victoria (Kaleidoscope-o-rama). In 2025, Bethan was invited to be the subject of the inaugural exhibition of PLATFORM, an annual display dedicated to showcasing contemporary design practices at the Design Museum in London, marking her first solo show in a museum context.
Throughout her career Bethan has sought to engage with the educational system by teaching and delivering lectures and workshops at many well-known universities including: RCA, ECAL and Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Bethan has been invited to run public workshops at Boisbuchet, V&A, Tate Britain, Vienna Design Week, IN Residence, Design Shanghai, and appeared as a guest speaker at many international fairs around the world from Tokyo to Toronto.
Bethan Laura Wood | Portrait by David Sierra
