Weaving Myth and Modernity Into Egg Collective’s Wooden Showcase

Ancient pagan cultures believed spirits lived in trees and that touching trunks could ward off bad luck—hence the phrase “knock on wood.” New York studio Egg Collective presented an exhibition named after that superstitious idiom, showcasing novel designs in timber by contemporary creatives. Among them were the Anthropomorphic valet chair of stained Douglas fir by South Korea–born, New York–based artist Minjae Kim and the sculptural Elm table by septuagenarian Rick Yoshimoto, once a collaborator of late sculptor JB Blunk. Work in different mediums came from Egg Collective itself, such as the wavy Fortune console and shelf, both in polished or brushed stainless steel; the Hornbake sectional, with interlocking puzzle-piece seat cushions and half-moon throw pillows; and sinuous Robins, an armchair with a serpentine powder-coated steel frame, displayed in an old-world floral upholstery. As both curators and designers, Egg founders Stephanie Beamer, Crystal Ellis, and Hillary Petrie go from strength to strength.