Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1461738
XXX SU WU This CURATOR, poet and writer collects stones that look like food, has named perfumes and won't hesitate to eat an unwashed fruit, whole. PORTRAIT BY MAUREEN M. EVANS What current project are you most excited about? I am curating an exhibition with the nomadic design gallery MASA opening in May in Rockefeller Center in New ;QTM+VYKNNDGKPVJGQNFRQUVQHƂEGYKVJ the counters and P.O. boxes and sorting belts—everything! It is a continuation of an exhibition we did in Mexico City of functional RKGEGUD[/GZKECPCTVKUVUCTEJKVGEVUCPF designers alongside historical works made by artists who moved to Mexico. When you return home to Mexico City after a period of being away, what's the ƂTUVVJKPI[QWFQVQTGQTKGPV[QWTUGNH! I love walking around my neighborhood with VJGƃKOUKGUVQHRTGVGPUGUNKMGƃQYGTUHQTVJG DGFUKFGCPFPQVTGCNN[PGGFKPICP[VJKPIDWV looking anyway. 6JGDGUVIKHV[QWoXGTGEGKXGFNCVGN[! The artist Trine Ellitsgaard gave me a small pochoteCPQHHUJQQVQHCVQYGTKPIURKMGF tree in her studio courtyard in Oaxaca %KV[CNQPIVJGQNFCSWGFWEV5JGCPFJGT JWUDCPFVJGNCVGCTVKUV(TCPEKUEQ6QNGFQ had planted the original tree when their FCWIJVGTYCUDQTPCPFYJGPUJGHQWPFQWV +JCFCPGYDQTPUQPUJGQHHGTGFOGCDCD[ tree for my garden. Who has had the greatest impact on your career? +HQPGDGNKGXGUKPECWUCNKV[+VJKPM there is a very strong argument for the instigating role that Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer have had on many lives in design. 6JGRWDNKECVKQPVJG[HQWPFGFSight Unseen offered a bit of design discourse and even OQTGGPVJWUKCUOHQTGOGTIKPIFGUKIPGTU and they have always been so certain at the center of it all that it allowed the rest of us VQFGƂPGQWTKPVGTGUVUCPFEJGEMQWTVCUVGU CPFƂIWTGQWVYJCVOCVVGTGFVJGOQUV6JG[ ICXGOGO[ƂTUVYTKVKPIYQTMCDQWVFGUKIP and they trusted my expertise on ceramics GURGEKCNN[CPF+MPQY+COPQVVJGQPN[QPG who owes them. 1 5 QU ESTI O N S FOR ... 1PGCTVKUVoUYQTM[QWYQWNFEQNNGEVKH[QW EQWNF! I heard a good argument recently for supporting living designers and artists KPUVGCFQHGUVCVGUNKMGRGQRNGYJQCTGKP the thick of it rather than legacies; it was the last time in a conversation where I started UQOGYJGTGCPFGPFGFWRHGGNKPIƃCVQWV YTQPI5QKVoUCNQPINKUVVJCVKUFKHƂEWNV VQUQTVDWVQPGNKXKPICTVKUVYJQUGYQTM+ admire is Tim Hawkinson—that little bird UMGNGVQPOCFGQHƂPIGTPCKNENKRRKPIUKUQPG QHVJGƂTUVYQTMUQHCTV+TGOGODGTVJCV really struck me through—and in the same RJ[UKECNUGPUG+COCNUQCFOKTKPIVJGYQTM QH-CVJNGGP4[CP*WIJ*C[FGPCPF,GUUK 4GCXGU#PFQHEQWTUGO[RCTVPGTUEWNRVQT Alma Allen's work; he just made a series of marginally functional pieces called for his GZJKDKVKQPp2QEQ7VKNqVJCVoUQPXKGYCV#)1 Projects in Mexico City through April. #PKPFWNIGPEG[QWEQWNFPGXGTHQTIQ! 'CVKPIWPYCUJGFHTWKVYJQNG.KMG+NQXG getting my children stone fruit at the farmer's market (although in Mexico it's DGVVGTVQUVKEMVQVJGIWCXCUCPFOC[DG pretending to wipe it off on my jeans before letting them bite into it. A relative once scolded me that only dirty old men eat fruit YJQNGYKVJQWVUNKEKPIKVCPF+NQXGVJCVVJKU admonishment made eating whole fruit for me forever a thrill. #RNCEG[QWVWTPVQHQTKPURKTCVKQP! 2QGVT[CNYC[UVJGCPUYGTUTWUJKPICJGCF YCKVKPIHQTVJGSWGUVKQPUVQECVEJWR 5QOGVJKPI[QWEQNNGEVNavajo rugs with RJQPGVKECNN[URGNNGFYQTFU pPQJQMUq pYJKH[qXKPVCIG/GZKECPƂIWTKPGUQHUQWNU KPRWTICVQT[UVQPGUVJCVNQQMNKMGHQQFXGT[ talented friends. #PKPFGNKDNGUOGNNVJCVoUTGOCKPGF ingrained in your memory? I helped name UQOGRGTHWOGUQXGTSWCTCPVKPGTKIJVYJGP I needed a reason to be breathing deeply. PHOTOS COURTESY SU WU 132 BAL HARBOUR