Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle

Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle showcased the designs of six internationally renowned bicycle builders whose work in metal, graphics, and artifacts elucidates this refined, intricate, and deeply individual craft. Organized by Michael Maharam, owner of the eponymous textile company and an avid bicycle collector, along with master builder Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles in Portland, Oregon, this survey was presented as part of the MADProjects exhibition series.

Showcasing 21 hand-built bicycles that sit squarely at the intersection of design, craft, and art, Bespoke introduced viewers to a range of contemporary designs, including fixed-gear, road racing, cyclocross, mountain, and commuter bicycles, as well as the stripped-down randonneur, designed exclusively for long-distance racing, and even a child’s tricycle. The exhibition featured bicycles by: Mike Flanigan, Alternative Needs Transportation (A.N.T.), Holliston, MA; Jeff Jones, Jeff Jones Custom Bicycles, Medford, OR; Dario Pegoretti, Pegoretti Cicli, Calonazzo, Italy; Richard Sachs, Richard Sachs Cycles, Warwick, MA; J. Peter Weigle, J. Peter Weigle Cycles, Lyme, CT; and Sacha White, Vanilla Bicycles, Portland, OR. Holly Hotchner, the Nanette L. Laitman Director of the Museum of Arts and Design, stated, “In presenting Bespoke in our MADProjects Gallery, we hope to provide our visitors an opportunity to appreciate bicycles on all of these levels, from the overall design to the exquisite details of each object.”

The exhibition was co-curated by Michael Maharam and Sacha White. With exhibition design by Solveig Fernlund, Fernlund + Logan Architects, graphics by 2X4, and video production by The Digital Project, and technical support from Signature Cycles. Sponsored from Maharam, Paul Smith, and Rapha.