In Conversation with Interior Designer Adam Charlap Hyman

Interior designer and rising star Adam Charlap Hyman reflects on The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) New York, highlighting some of his most-coveted objects, including a sofa by Salvador Dalí created for an interior by Jean-Michel Frank.

Join Adam and Martina Mondadori live on Substack on August 24th at 5pm CET / 11am EST for a conversation exploring his creative journey, from the moment he knew he wanted to become a designer to his distinctive work across interiors, architecture and the decorative arts. Together, they’ll discuss the people, places, travels and interests that continue to shape his imaginative world.

Together, they’ll discuss the people, places, travels and interests that continue to inform his imaginative world.

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Admired for his studio’s unique blend of sophistication and character, Adam Charlap Hyman, co-founder of Charlap Hyman & Herrero, has enchanted the design world with his imaginative, eclectic interiors. Recent projects include the restoration of a historic Stanford White house in Long Island, set design for a summer production on New York City’s Little Island, and curating a show for R & Company.

This year, he brought his unique perspective to The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) in New York. One of the world’s premier art fairs, TEFAF marked its 10th edition, bringing together nearly 100 international exhibitors at the Park Avenue Armory.

As the dust settles on the five-day event, Adam highlights his most-coveted selections. Each piece marks his diverse blend of periods and styles into cohesive and compelling interiors. As he navigated the historic venue, his keen eye for extraordinary pieces demonstrated his knack for discovery and talent for design.

“I have always been stunned speechless by the flower paintings of Fantin-Latour, which, in defiance of his saccharine palette, have a piercingly acute melancholy quality.”

“This work by Marden, made in Greece, with excess cuttings from a quarry there and painted with a blue stripe, is small but powerful. It dominated an entire wall at the Gagosian booth and radiated the quiet, simmering intensity his larger paintings are known for. Somehow, it had a personal feeling that I could not place exactly.”

“I love the work of Kristi Cavatoro and have been following it for a while. This sculpture, out of lead and glass, had a little more of an organic line than what I have seen from her in the past, and I am very into it. I imagined how beautiful and strange it would be outside, with sunlight caught within its prismatically faceted translucent form.”

“The two scroll-like works above are separate from the crucifix, but they do all look good together. I go crazy for Fontana, especially the more Baroque ceramics like these, which almost seem like impressions of more intricate antiquities. His hand is very present in these ceramic pieces; as such, they have a potency almost overflowing - they are a little violent and extremely virtuosic.”

“I had never encountered the work of Rebecca Salsbury James, who died in 1968 and was married to the photographer Paul Strand, who later married Georgia O’Keeffe, until today at Salon 94. These pieces are reverse painted on glass, which gives them an icy, milky richness that is extremely tactile and exciting. The technique is very hard, but the resulting paintings are amazing. This presentation blew me away and was so happy to learn about her practice.”

“I fell in love with Marinot’s work, at a show at Le Stanze del Vetro in Venice, and haven’t been able to get it out of my head since. It was very cool to see these small perfume bottles as they are quite rare, and each is completely different. Marinot was known for his mastery and extreme precision with the medium and developed many techniques, colors, and processes lost to us today. The bottles, while small, are masterpieces that seem to contain entire galaxies of artistry and mystery.”

“Rosemarie Trockel is an incredible artist, and this striking light blue piece from the early 1990s (my favourite colour) is emblematic of her meticulous exploration of materials in unexpected ways through her mixed media practice.”

“This sofa by Dalí for an interior by Jean-Michel Frank is one of my favorite things ever. It was a treat to see it in person as I have seen it documented so many times. Of course, it was made multiple times and copied a million more, but this is the original - a real relic of one of the most important constellations of designer and patron. The color was faded but still beautiful, and it glowed in the booth of Galerie Jacques Lacoste, which seems to hold the keys to this period of design history.”

“Galerie Chenel’s presentation was brooding and dramatic, and I thought it was great. The antiquities sparkled and almost floated surrealistically despite all being carved of heavy stone. This fragment of a bull’s head was majestic and solemn.”

“I died for the curation at David Zwirner’s booth, which configured incredible paintings by Giorgio Morandi and mindblowing ceramic vessels by George Ohr. I have only recently learned about Ohr, and it was cool to see so much of his work in one place - the range of technique and motif and the richness of his colour palette and textures were extremely exciting to examine close-up. The combination of the two artists brought both a clarity and an undeniable charge.”

“Maria Pergay is one of my favourite designers of all time, and I am always excited to see what Demisch Danant will do with their booths because each one is fresher and cooler than the last. Pergay’s signature use of steel and her very particular line never got old for me, and this chair had a raw force that drew me in. They let me try it out!”