Alexena Cayless is a furniture designer living and working in south east London. A trained sculptor and furniture designer, Alexena’s work explores the close relationship between art and design. Her work is influenced by memory and the relationship between people and objects.
Alexena’s background is far from conventional, brought up on a Leicestershire farm, she was introduced to art at an early age by her father, also a trained furniture designer. After graduating from a Fine Art degree Alexena became interested in pursuing a career within the social sector, working in art therapy and then as a paramedic. In 2003 Alexena returned to university to study design. Her work is informed by her experiences of working with people, of gathering stories and wanting to retell narratives through objects.
Alexena’s work is diverse. Her ceramic hip flask and silver chip fork play with ideas regarding the value of objects and reflect her interest in Britishness. Larger pieces include two sideboards that draw on childhood memories to re-imagine this familiar piece for a contemporary setting. In her ‘Remembrance’ sideboard a series of secret openings and drawers shaped like shoe boxes encourage us to think about the way we store our most treasured possessions. Her white sideboard is created from a triptych of cubes denoted by solid form and line. Areas have been cut away to intrigue and invite exploration of the internal space.
Alexena’s most recent collection rescues and reinvents fly tipped furniture. Drawn to discarded pieces, she scoured the streets to retrieve and upcycle once loved items. Each piece is given a new skin that simultaneously documents where they were found through black and white prints on the surface. An ever evolving collection, each piece is unique.
Alexena Cayless is also a founding member of the design collective Farm.
