In Surry Hills, amidst late modernism and the steady churn of newness, Composition has become a kind of holdout. The latest collection Retrouvailles continues the studio’s commitment to furniture as archive. Curated by founder Claire Perini, it spans two years and four separate trips through Europe and North Africa. Its name – French, loosely translated as the joy of reunion – offers a perspective to view its 40-plus pieces. The collection draws from private holdings, secondary markets and overlooked inventories. A Bertha Schaeffer modular sofa (1940s, USA) upholstered in original mohair velvet appears like an heirloom from someone else’s grandmother. Textiles and rugs, sourced from Moroccan dealers, date to the 1970s.
Spearheaded by Claire Perini, whose trajectory spans interior architecture, graphic design and illustration, the fractious go-getter brings a multidisciplinary approach to her methodology that is research-driven, informed by fieldwork and formal training. A graduate of the UTS Interior Architecture program and recipient of the Australian Design and Mentorship Award, Perini established Composition in 2018. The studio’s structure – divided into four verticles: Artefact, Object, Interiors and Print – functions as a framework for practice and presentation.
Related: Tom Adair exhibition
There are echoes of Out of Africa, Perini admits – Blixen’s salons filled with objects brought back from faraway posts, each bearing the trace of its context. It’s a reference that could feel loaded in less careful hands. Alongside the antiques, Retrouvailles includes a cadre of contemporary works. Glassware by Helle Mardahl, candleware from Stoff Nagel, and editions from Suryo and Alex & Trahanas thread quietly between centuries. There are contributions from local artists too: Louis Wayling, Caressa Gonsalves and Tom Butterworth offer interventions that feel like palimpsests.
