SPECIMEN is a collaborative project between VaryLab and A Collection Of., developed within a shared Peckham industrial estate. Rooted in proximity and process, the project explores how letterforms can move beyond communication to function as physical elements across objects and surfaces.
Working between hand-made production and industrial techniques, the collaboration opens possibilities at a local scale, where material experimentation and dialogue drive the outcome. Tanguy Bertocchi (VaryLab) screen-prints typographic compositions directly onto wooden panels to establish a graphic foundation for Peter Haynes (A Collection Of.) to translate and construct into a three-dimensional form. Through this process, letters move off the page and into a structure, where the surface becomes form.
SPECIMEN works through material and language to transform multi-coloured surfaces. Each piece develops through an ongoing exchange between hand and machine, resulting in objects that exist between graphic expression and functional design.
The exhibition presents a series of ten stools made from Valchromat©, an organic coloured wood fibre panel used throughout the project for its durability and saturated finish.
Printed surfaces extend beyond furniture with a selection of textile works by VaryLab, including bags developed through the same process. Alongside finished objects, work in progress material is shown throughout the exhibition to showcase how the work develops from raw material into functional forms and objects.
Presented from 22 - 26 April at Allotment E8, a process-led space that brings together exhibitions, making, and community activity. During the exhibition run, SPECIMEN will host a public facing workshop, to activate the project within a live setting. A short film by Alick Cotterill accompanies the presentation, documenting the project's development, from raw material through to print and construction.
Supported by Valchromat
https://www.investwood.pt/en/valchromat/
https://www.instagram.com/valchromat_official/
Hosted at Allotment
https://www.instagram.com/allotment_e8/
https://www.openarea.live
Peter Haynes is a London-based designer and maker whose practice, A Collection Of., brings together hands-on fabrication, material study and photography. Working across furniture, storage and homeware, he creates pieces grounded in utility, longevity and a material-conscious approach. His work is shaped by an ongoing interest in how objects are made, used and integrated into everyday life. His work features in residential & commercial spaces within the art, design & cultural spheres.
https://www.acollectionof.info
https://www.instagram.com/acollectionof.info
VaryLab, founded by Tanguy Bertocchi in Peckham in 2020, is a textile-focused practice rooted in experimentation and making. Working with screen printing, embroidery and reclaimed materials, the studio produces limited-edition clothing and accessories that emphasise durability, transparency and process. Guided by a DIY ethos, VaryLab transforms deadstock and discarded textiles into new forms with renewed purpose. Previous projects include Hyperdub, Caribou, Stüssy, New Balance, Reebok, Dover Street Market, Burberry, Croydon Council, Camden Council, and more.