Words by Allegra Salvadori | Images Courtesy of Studio TWENTYSEVEN

What does it mean for a design object to be “collectible” in 2025? Founded in 2018 by Nacho Polo — Founder, CEO and Creative Director — together with Director Robert Onuska, STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN has emerged as one of the most influential voices in contemporary collectible design. For the New York–born gallery, the answer to this question lies far beyond rarity; it rests in intention, cultural resonance, and the emotional depth an object can carry into the world.

Built on the belief that design deserves to be experienced “with the same reverence as art,” the gallery has developed a curatorial language that blurs function and expression, rigor and poetry, global perspective and local nuance. As its founders explain, “Our vision has always been to champion work that blurs the lines between function and expression, while cultivating a community of collectors and creators worldwide who share that belief.”

A Curatorial Vision Rooted in Dialogue

Dialogue—between materials, cultures, designers, and collectors—is the backbone of the gallery’s approach. Their philosophy, they note, is guided by the insistence that collectible design must “show viewers something new they have not seen before.” This hunger for experimentation is evident in the gallery’s New York program, where contemporary works push the boundaries of materiality, form, and sculptural presence while remaining anchored in a distinct artistic voice.

Equally important is the commitment to follow designers across time: building not one-off collaborations but long-term relationships, collecting deeply from the same voices, and allowing their evolution to unfold within the gallery’s narrative. This approach has created a curatorial dialogue that is both coherent and ever-expanding.

A Global Perspective with the Middle East at Its Center

Although STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN does not yet have a physical gallery in Dubai, the region has become one of its most meaningful landscapes. Over the past two years, the gallery has built strong ties with developers, architects, and collectors in the Middle East, supported by a Dubai-based sales director.

“Our curatorial vision doesn’t shift, but it expands over time,” they explain. Their intention is clear: honor the universality of design while remaining attuned to cultural specificity. This dynamic has found a natural home in the Gulf, where a new generation of collectors is embracing pieces that merge cultural heritage with contemporary expression. “The appetite for collectible design in the Middle East is growing with incredible momentum,” the gallery notes—an evolution driven by both curiosity and legacy.

Dubai, in particular, fascinates them as a crossroads of ambition and aesthetics. Its community of thinkers, craftspeople, and collectors, they say, resonates deeply with their mission. A future physical presence in the city feels less like an expansion and more like an inevitability.

Championing New Voices: From New York to Istanbul to Beirut

STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN’s program highlights a diverse group of designers with distinct material languages. Among them is Lebanese designer Nader Gammas, whose exploration of stainless steel pushes the metal into unexpected emotional registers—soft, lyrical, and timeless. “His ability to re-contextualize the use of stainless-steel metal into everyday objects that still feel timeless, soft, and deeply poetic has made an incredible addition to our collection,” they note.

Similarly, Turkish interior architect and designer Arda Yeniay brings a mastery of geometry and material honesty that has quickly earned international attention. His pieces—several of which are exclusively represented by the gallery—have been installed in FENDI stores worldwide, further cementing the relevance of his design language. Together, Gammas and Yeniay illustrate the duality the gallery values: craftsmanship rooted in culture, yet unafraid to push boundaries.

Working With Collectors: Education, Collaboration, and Curation

One of the gallery’s greatest strengths is its ability to translate curatorial vision into real spaces. Their work oscillates between education—helping collectors understand cultural significance—and collaboration with architects and designers who integrate collectible design into built environments.

At its core, however, the process is an act of curation: identifying pieces that carry timelessness and resonance, and placing them within narratives that enrich both object and space.

Expanding the Narrative: The Seed Exhibition

This year, STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN presents its second solo exhibition, The Seed, featuring new works by Franco-Argentine artist Luna Paiva. If last year’s exhibition with Francesco Balzano expressed restraint, monochromy, and softness, Paiva brings a vibrant counterpoint—an exploration of color, organic motifs, and narrative depth.

The juxtaposition between Balzano and Paiva mirrors the gallery’s broader ethos: the breadth of contemporary craftsmanship and the dialogue between minimalism and expressive form.

What Moves a Curator in 2025?

When asked about the works that recently moved them, the gallery points to South African architect and designer Clive Lonstein, whose cast-glass pieces challenge light, solidity, and transparency, and Belgian artist Tanguy Tourain, whose unique bronze works stand at the intersection of sculpture and ritual object. These choices reveal a lot: a sensitivity to pieces that carry both presence and poetry—objects that feel alive.

A New Definition of Collectible Design

In 2025, collectible design is no longer defined solely by exclusivity. As STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN frames it: “A collectible object is defined by the intention of both the maker and the collector—where it stands within the landscape of design, and the cultural and emotional depth it brings into a space.“

It is an evolving definition, one shaped as much by narrative and context as by material and form.