For his show “Big Woods,†opening at Cristina Grajales Gallery in New York on Jan. 27, the Brooklyn-based designer Aaron Poritzwent back to the source. “I wanted to go for walks in the woods, find trees and envision pieces that fit within the shapes of them,†he says. “The tree is the starting point. I find that romantic.†The seven pieces he created for the show represent a stylistic departure for Poritz, who is best known for his masterfully crafted wooden furniture. “This was about exploring and being inspired by abstractions of the human form.†Two years in the making, “Big Woods†is a curvaceous collection that includes a vanity, desk, bar, coffee table and floor lamp. Many of the pieces were made from hemlocks from his father’s land in Massachusetts, others from a massive, 180-year-old fallen oak found in Connecticut. “Big Woods†is on view from Jan. 27 through May 26 at Cristina Grajales Gallery, cristinagrajales.com.
