Behold lovers of beautiful and bold design: the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) has announced an upcoming exhibit dedicated to showcasing and celebrating contemporary Canadian design. Canadian Modern will run from December 3, 2022 to September 3, 2023 and examines homegrown iconic design from the mid-twentieth century to present day.

Visitors to the Canadian Modern exhibit can expect to see over 100 objects including furniture, fashion, jewellery, glassware, ceramics, textile design, graphic design, and electronics.

Steamer Chair, 1978. Steam-bent maple plywood. Thomas Lamb (1938-1997), DuBarry.

“From the chairs we sit in to the phones we text on, Canadian design is everywhere,” says Josh Basseches, ROM Director & CEO. “This exhibition is the story of that enduring influence – and a celebration of the imagination and ingenuity behind it.”

Canadian Modern will feature work from more than 70 designers and 40 manufacturers. Some of the names teased in the press release include John Fluevog, Douglas Coupland, Scot Laughton, and Jacques Guillon. We love being inspired by design and hope the exhibit showcases the talent of many Canadian women innovators too (we can think of at least a dozen names we’d want to include). 

“Design and craft are often in flux, speaking to the moment in reflecting or shaping perspectives and needs,” says Dr. Arlene Gehmacher, L.R. Wilson Curator of Canadian Art & Culture at ROM and consulting curator for Canadian Modern. “Canadian Modern allows us to appreciate the ROM‘s current collections and imagine possible new directions.”

Tickets to Canadian Modern are included with General Admission to the Museum.