British design sensation Max Lamb, a favorite among collectors of contemporary limited-edition furniture, is coming stateside. Beginning October 8, New York's Johnson Trading Gallery will host the designer's first solo exhibition in the U.S.

Lamb is known for taking an unapologetically hands-on approach to furniture design -- casting tables by splashing molten metal into divots carved in sand, for instance, or turning concrete stools on a lathe -- and he wanted to create a few special pieces for his U.S. debut. Looking to work with local materials, he traveled to New York State's Catskill Mountains to handpick chunks of bluestone at Hennessey Quarry. He then recruited the quarry's tools and employees, and put the whole operation to work creating seven exceptionally heavy pieces of furniture. The project represents "a real commitment for both buyers and myself," says Paul Johnson, owner of Johnson Trading Gallery. "These are serious pieces to move around."

Lamb snapped these photos of the production process himself. The exhibition runs October 8 through November 9 at 490 Greenwich Street in Manhattan. -- TIM McKEOUGH

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