It is not unusual to come across road signs and plaques, whether “trophies” taken from the streets or imitations of them, used as wall decoration in student and teenage rooms, as well as in bars.
So it comes as no surprise that the Icelandic artist Boris Bally has built his artistic practice on recycling old signs into colourful furniture. He calls his collection “humanufactured” (as opposed to manufactured), emphasising that each piece is made by hand.
In this way, a worthless raw material is turned into beautiful, functional pieces with a strong personality, which are slightly reminiscent of the look of American streets. The result is particularly striking, combining modern lines with bold graphics.
Boris Bally’s work is award-winning, clever and innovative. The artist uses the techniques of a silversmith and goldsmith to transform humble raw materials into something functional.
Besides recycled signs, he often uses gun parts and other seemingly useless materials to create not only furniture but also home accessories, jewellery and other installations.
The closest place where you can find his work is Italy, specifically “RE(f)USE di Carmina Campus s.r.l” in Rome (Via Fontanella Borghese, 40 -Roma 00186).
