Honey, Sophie, & Oscar Humphries present
MINI: Kids Furniture, 1930-1960
At Design Miami/
December 2019
MINI: Kids Furniture, 1930–1960 showcases mid-century furniture made by some of the most important architects and designers of the twentieth century, including Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Isamu Noguchi, Harry Bertoia, and Alvar Aalto. All the works were designed for children as modernism was a utopian movement meant to enrich the living spaces of whole families, not just adults. A percentage of the proceeds from this exhibition will be donated to ProjectArt.
MINI came about when Oscar Humphries and Sophie Oakley had their daughter, Honey, in 2018. As design collectors they wondered how to incorporate toys and children’s furniture into a house full of collectable design and art. The answer was to combine both, creating an environment that engages both parents and child. “It wasn’t until I had Honey that I looked at her world and realized the enormity of it on an industrial level,” says Sophie. “There is so much waste, disposable single-use, but also objects, toys, clothes, equipment that is fleetingly used. Vintage design for children allows us to own things that can be kept and cherished. We believe it’s incredibly beneficial for children to be around art and design from infancy. The more we can introduce creativity in these formative years
the better, and proceeds from MINI will help others do the same.”
For MINI, Oscar is partnering with his wife Sophie. Sophie Oakley is the former director of BHQFU, a nonprofit free art school in Brooklyn. Honey is one year old and will be Design Miami/’s youngest ever exhibitor.
ProjectArt provides free after-school art classes to children through partnerships with public libraries in 8 cities across the country. ProjectArt Miami's culturally responsive resident artist teach visual art to students ages 4-18 years throughout Miami while developing a new body of artwork inspired by collaborations with students and the library. For more information visit projectart.org.