LONDON — Isamaya Ffrench, the British makeup artist and designer, has turned her attention to a different color palette with the opening of a gallery and concept store called Studio Iron.
Her aim is to create a platform where younger artists — and established ones — can experiment with interior design, furniture and decorative objects. Studio Iron’s first pop-up exhibition is taking place at Saatchi Yates until June 7, before moving to its permanent spot in The Painting Rooms in Soho in June.
The gallery derives its name from Isamaya, which means “iron strength” in medieval Germanic. Ffrench, who studied 3D and industrial design, said she wants the artists to create pieces that “sit in the liminal space between art and function and design.”
Ffrench is used to breaking boundaries, and working across a variety of disciplines including beauty, fashion, art and film. Last year she launched Core Collection, which fuses skin care with makeup, and this year she will reunite with Nike on their “Run Forever” 2026 sneaker collaboration.
A look at the Studio Iron show at Saatchi Yates gallery in London.
The show at Saatchi Yates features 62 works arranged around the large, concrete-floored studio. Iron and steel dominate the post-industrial-looking room, with sculptures, installations and paintings that radiate fragility — and resilience. It’s balanced chaos that makes sense.
Upon entering, visitors are met with “Untitled (Wolf),” 2026 by Benjamin Kustow, a large, snarling wolf with an arched back. Its protruding ribs and spiky hair are frozen in midair, like a cornered cat. There’s also a king-sized bed that sits on the floor inside a black, glossy, tubular frame. The work, by Kouros Maghsoudi, is called the “Hug Bed, 2026.”
Ffrench said she wanted the displays to be detailed, tactile and tempting although, as with any gallery, visitors are not supposed to touch anything.
Phoebe Saatchi, Arthur Yates and Isamaya Ffrench in costume, and wearing prosthetics.
During a walk-through, Ffrench said she wanted to create a space that broke down boundaries. She sees the current art scene as hierarchical and too associated with certain genres, limiting the kinds of stories artists can tell. To her, “creativity is creativity. It’s all magic,” and doesn’t need to be labeled or defined.
Ffrench handpicked the artists, who range from emerging talents such as Atelier Formenta, Andu Masebo and Manon Wertenbroek to established names including Gary Card, Paul McCarthy, Kelly Wearstler, Anne Imhof and Marina Abramović.
It was the first time that some of the artists designed furniture. Ffrench worked as a mentor, guiding them on the commissioned pieces and trusting them to do new and different work. She had faith in their ability to get the job done.
“When the core or the seed of something is honest, the work is too,” she said.
Although Ffrench enjoys running her beauty business, she also craved radicalism, newness and pure art. “There are limitations in every single thing you do, but there aren’t really in this space, and that’s really exciting,” she said.
The Studio Iron show at Saatchi Yates in London.
Once it arrives in its permanent home, Studio Iron will continue to expand its homeware and object design. It’s even going global to produce films in Mongolia later this year.
Ffrench said she hopes to establish a creative agency and continue recruiting new designers to push the boundaries of conventional interior art. She wants to help artists to explore new territory and create works that may have no explanation, but still leave the audience satisfied.
