Design trends of 2015: Colourful exhibitions and installations

Never one to shy away from all things bright and bold, Henri Matisse was renowned for his use of block colours and shapes. Making a bold statement with colour, the artist draws onlookers into each piece. The exhibition in Amsterdam at the Stedelijk Museum, running 27 March-16 August 2015, picks apart the clear structure of the artist’s work. It shows the different stages of using colour and shape to create something striking, in the same way that our mix of hexagonal and square tiles in the Prismatics range do.

Tate Modern is currently shining a light on the very colourful world of artist Sonia Delauney with their special EY Exhibition running from 15 April - 9 August 2015. As one of the key names in abstract art, it’s refreshing to see that her sense of vibrancy is still apparent today in areas of design and architecture. The simple shade groups and swift strokes offer a concise analogy of colour theory showing that primary colours when married with neutral tones, like those in our Chroma range, give a modern edge to design.  

Bright umbrellas shade the rain

Showing that bold block colours will never go out of fashion, the Vinopolis Piazza in Borough Market was brought to life in 2012 by its floating umbrella display, and it’s still on show today. Casting their bright hues against the drab brickwork, the umbrellas create an impressive ceiling of colour that is a hidden delight. With their geometric shapes, much like our Prismatics range, the installation fuses angles and colour with simple but effective results. 

Providing colour in spite of the grey weather, Spark Your City’s carpet installation on London Bridge transformed the crossing into a riot of colour for the day. The global movement was “dedicated to spark joy in everyday life”, making the morning commute that bit more bearable. 

The design industry is currently bursting with colour. To celebrate, London and various places across Europe are hosting a number of vibrant projects from the A&D community, throughout the summer. Our Design Team took trips to London and Amsterdam to soak up inspiration from the bold trends on show. Here are some of the major colour trends we spotted along the way…