Hue I Am / Hue Am I

Superhouse is proud to debut New York-based interior architect and designer Kim Mupangilaï’s furniture collection in Hue I Am / Hue Am I. The exhibition runs June 28 - August 20, 2023 at Superhouse Vitrine, 75 East Broadway, Second Floor, New York, New York.

The term hue in the show’s title is a reference to skin tone, a nod to Mupangilaï’s family background. Born to a Belgian mother and Congolese father, Mupangilaï was raised in Europe, losing contact with her African heritage. With her furniture collection, Kasaï, she rediscovers her cross-cultural identity and hopes to provoke viewers’ exploration of their own lineages. The designer states:

“Growing up in a small town in Belgium with a Belgian mother and Congolese father, it became my natural instinct to blend in with the Western culture that surrounded me. This resulted in never fully understanding nor finding my identity. Therefore, I perceive every piece in the collection as a personal cross-cultural experience.”

The collection consists of seven furniture forms, made from natural materials – teak, stone, rattan, and banana fiber – all symbolic of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rattan is traditionally found in baskets, rugs, and textiles while banana fiber is a reference to the banana leaves commonly used for cooking, serving, and food preservation. The teak and stone speak to the rich natural resources of the country. Hand-working these materials into domestic furnishings with exaggerated curves, Mupangilaï establishes her sensuous and playful visual language. Two terms that appear in the titles of each piece are MSWASI, meaning woman, and BINA, meaning dance. Thus, ideas of femininity, place, history, and culture, are reverently explored by the designer. The resulting collection is at once sumptuous and introspective.

“I am overjoyed with bringing Kim’s unique voice to Superhouse’s audience.” says Stephen Markos founder and director of Superhouse. “The collection is a fresh perspective on art furniture, which for any artist or designer is no easy feat. The show connects many dots in the gallery’s programming, such as our past show, Ingrained, presenting contemporary women and non-binary identifying wood workers as well as our continued work with legendary artist and designer Wendy Maruyama.”

While all the pieces in Kasaï are functional, they can have the appearance of being non-functional. This duality emphasizes the designer’s background and underscores her approach to design: one that places aesthetic on equal footing with purpose and use.

Superhouse would like to thank Belgian artisans Håndlayer for their custom wall and floor treatment within the installation. Working closely with Mupangilaï, the team behind Håndlayer developed surfaces that evoke traditional Congolese architecture, transforming the gallery and emphasizing the designer's vision.