In a fickle auction world that has been dominated for decades by the likes of Christie’s and Sotheby’s, enter Wright: a visionary Chicago company that has gaveled its way into collectors’ homes across the globe. Specializing in midcentury and contemporary design, the premier auction house’s artfully curated live sales have become an obsession for tastemakers, one lot at a time.
“Our location makes us more accessible and allows a level of creativity unattainable elsewhere,” explains founder Richard Wright. “Our clients truly appreciate these qualities.”
And the collectors flock to more than just the auction room. The company’s website, dubbed Wright Now, lets buyers lust after a Karl Springer étagère or a FontanaArte sconce 24/7. “Wright Now appeals to the buyer who might not want to bid in the heat of the moment,” Wright explains. “It also allows us more freedom to present really wonderful works by less well-known makers and designers who are not established in the auction market.”
While Chicago is home base, casting auctions farther afield has paid off. Most notably, a July 2016 sale in New York City broke records when it took in more than $4 million for iconic furniture and tableware from the Four Seasons restaurant, with lots selling for four times their estimates.
Among Wright’s favorite finds? “The Noguchi ‘Chess Table’ is sublime, melding function with pure form,” he explains. “‘Child’s Chair’ by Charles and Ray Eames is a diminutive, molded-plywood form that is modern and whimsical at the same time. And the Papa Bear chair and ottoman by Hans Wegner are simply so darn comfortable.”