About The Project

The Shelf Portrait Project

Designer, Darragh Casey created the ‘Shelf Portrait Project’ as research for his MA project ‘Shelving the Body’ at Central St Martin’s College of Art and Design, London. Frustrated with the commercial constraints of the design industry, Casey aimed to created furniture that focused on one individuality and one-offs rather than target audiences or mass production.

As well as subverting design traditions, the ‘Shelf Portrait’ is a photograph of various people physically suspended on shelves alongside objects that define their lives and personalities. Casey’s initial Shelf Portraits were created around his own family – his grandmother, brothers and parents.