Chicago-based multi-creator Benjamin Edgar's first solo art event in Japan, "BENJAMIN EDGAR'S I-BEAMS F OR BEAMS T," will be held at BEAMS T Harajuku.

2024.08.19

Chicago-based Benjamin Edgar Gott's first solo art event in Japan, "BENJAMIN EDGARʼS I-BEAMS F OR BEAMS T," will be held at BEAMS T Harajuku from Friday, August 23rd to Sunday, September 1st.

Benjamin Edgar Gott is a multi-creator who runs his own design company, "BENJAMIN EDGAR." He calls his project "AN OBJECT COMPANY," which transcends genre boundaries and connects the environment, people, and society through design. He is curious about all sorts of things and events in daily life, and creates products with his own unique concepts and identities.

Benjamin entered the business world at the age of 17 during the first dot-com boom in the 1990s. He taught himself software development without any formal training or education, and tried to combine information architecture and design. He then quit his corporate job and became an independent entrepreneur. In 2005, he launched the design blog "THE BRILLIANCE" with his close friends Chuck Anderson and Virgil Abloh, and was involved in several projects, including the launch of "Boxed Water," a sustainable drinking water alternative to wasteful plastic bottles. Since founding his design company "BENJAMIN EDGAR" in 2009, he has continued to create unique objects.

Benjamin Edgar's objects, which encompass everything from notebooks and furniture to luxury clothes hangers made from Vermont Verde marble, are characterised by a strong attention to detail and craftsmanship, as well as a mocking, irreverent approach.
Simple t-shirts and hoodies are printed with playful slogans and presented in an understated monochrome palette, while iconographic designs on key chains and accessories showcase the brand's sharp and witty sensibility.

Benjamin has collaborated with many national brands such as VANS, J.Crew, and CHAMPION, as well as cutting-edge design studios such as Actual Source. He has also worked with artist Ron Louis and worked on the architectural design of the leading Chicago select shop NOTRE, making the most of his multifaceted talents to lead the local scene in his hometown.

This art event, "BENJAMIN EDGAR'S I-BEAMS F OR BEAMS T," will feature a Special order collection and art installation inspired by the "I-BEAM" object, one of Benjamin Edgar's signature works.
The classical "I-beam" shape and steel structure has been scaled down to keychain size, making it a kind of "portable sculpture." Carved from solid steel and painted, the "I-beam" represents creativity, structure, elegance, scale, height, durability and a tribute to architectural master Mies van der Rohe and Chicago.

The Special order collection, which was created as a play on words between Benjamin's beloved "I-BEAM" and BEAMS T, features a variety of items designed by him himself, including three short-sleeved T-shirts, two long-sleeved T-shirts, one sweatshirt hoodie, one cap (the yellow and blue of the three colors limted to this exhibition), as well as shoes in a triple collaboration with Clarks Originals, and the Sculptors Stand Stool #2.

"BENJAMIN EDGAR'S I-BEAMS F OR BEAMS T" aims to be the first opportunity in Japan for many people to become acquainted with the creative and unique sensibility of Benjamin Edgar, and also to serve as an event that will serve as an opportunity to interact with many other creators.

To commemorate the event, a reception party will be held on Friday, August 23rd from 7:00 PM, with Benjamin himself scheduled to attend.
Please take this opportunity to experience his worldview.

ARTIST PROFILE

Benjamin Edger Gott

Benjamin is a Chicago-based artist and industrial designer. Essentially, Benjamin designs objects. His ongoing project, literally named "An Object Company", is the culmination of over 15 years of research and work with various processes and products. He creates objects using a variety of materials, including steel, ceramic, rubber, marble, carbon fiber, leather, and cotton, and is characterized by an irreverent attitude and strong attention to detail. Whether worn or used to decorate the home, each piece strikes a balance between the useful and the non-useful, inviting an opportunity to learn, develop, and play.

Benjamin entered the business world at the age of 17 during the first dot-com boom. Without any formal training or education, Edgar taught himself software development and specialized in information architecture and design. He then left the corporate world to push the boundaries of his entrepreneurial endeavors while writing for the culture blog THE BRILLIANCE!, which he launched with Chuck Anderson (later Virgil Abloh) in 2005. He then founded Boxed Water in 2009 as an alternative to plastic bottles. Boxed Water, the most widely recognized of his projects, is simply an "object" for Benjamin, differing only in its scale and the problem it seeks to solve.
Edgar's ultimate goal is to stay curious. @benjaminedgar