Mále is a Chilean architect and artist with an MA from the Royal College of Art and a professional background in spatial design and exhibition design. Her practice explores sculptural and immersive narratives that communicate critical narratives on material culture and the value of natural resources. Her research-led work spans interiors, sculpture, murals, multimedia installations, and exhibition design projects form museum institutions.
In 2019, Mále was awarded a Designers in Residence fellowship at the Design Museum in London, where she initiated her ongoing investigation into mineral imaginaries and overlooked territorial narratives. She previously worked at StoreyStudio in London as a spatial designer and Head of Art Development & Research, leading projects for institutions and brands including the Victoria &Albert Museum, Prada, Hermès, and Nike. Her personal projects have been exhibited internationally, including at the Design Museum (London), Somerset House (London), CAFA Art Museum (Beijing), Science Museum (Hong Kong), Royal College of Art (London), Galeria PADA (Lisbon), Palacio Pereira (Santiago), and Galería Gallo (Chile), among others. Her work has been featured in publications such as the Financial Times, Dezeen, and Crafts Magazine.
Mále Uribe Forés
London | Santiago
hello@studio-male.com
instagram @estudio.male | @maleuribef
Exhibitions
2025, Chile Pavillion at London Design Biannale, Somerset House, London;
2025, Minerasophia, solo show, Collectio, Santiago;
2025, Pinta Art Fair, Galería Collectio, Lima;
2024, Metales, group Exhibition, Espacio veta, Santiago;
2022, El Descenlace de la Forma, group exhibition, Palacio Pereira, Santiago;
2022; Salt Imaginaries; Lithium 2.0, solo show, Galería Gallo, Santiago;
2021, Material Tales; The Life of Things, touring exhibition, CAFA Art Museum, Beijing;
2021, Mars Blueberries, group exhibition, PADA Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal;
2020, Salt Imaginaries, solo show, Design Museum, London;
2019, Membrane, pop up group exhibition, Design Museum;
2019, Cosmic Capsule, group exhibition, the Design Museum, London;
2018, Surface Memories, group exhibition, St Augustine’s Tower, London;
2018, Medium Füun, RCA Final Show 2018, Royal College of Art;
2018, Texture of Light, solo show, Hockney Gallery, Royal College of Art;
2018, RCA Work in Progress Show, Royal College of Art, London;
2017, Entanglement, Systems Group exhibition, White City Place, London;
2017, Non-Space Gallery, group exhibition, Aarhus, Denmark;
2017, An Audio Guide To Getting Out, group exhibition, Cabinet, New York;
2017, Becoming, group exhibition, Dyson Gallery, Royal College of Art, London.
Selected publications
2025, Wallpaper, Six Standout pavilions to see at the London Design Biennale;
2024, Crafts Magazine issue N298 Bolder Visions, article Saline Solutions,
2022, Dezeen, Mále Uribe unveils salt mural made from lithium-extraction waste;
2020, PADA Studios, ‘Not Just a contemplation upon a pigment’;
2020, Royal College of Art, ‘Communicating through immersive environments’;
2020, Dezeen, ‘Mále Uribe Forés makes wall tiles from Chilean desert salt’;
2020, Design Week Magazine,
2019, Blueprint Magazine.
Writings and Conferences
2025, Panelist at Scarcity and Power: The Geopolitics of Resource Extraction, Global Design Forum, King’s College London ;
2025, Panel conversation Minerasophia, Underground Cycles, King’s College London;
2025, Conference Why Salt, at India ID Design, New Delhi;
2024, Visual Essay Salt Imaginaries Lithium 0.2, in: Revista Materia N25 Out of Place Matter, Santiago.
2023, Talk Salt Imaginaries, Finis Terra University, Santiago;
2020, Talk at Symposium Mars: Designing for the Red Planet, the Design Museum, London;
2020, Online conference New Materialism at Encuentro Local, Chile;
2020, Online panel New Materials, organised by Ministry of Arts & Culture, Chile;
2020, Curation and conference at Symposium Re-imagining Extreme Landscapes, Virtual Design Festival, Dezeen, London;
2019, Essay publication Re-thinking mineral life in the Atacama, in: Cosmic book, the Design Museum, London.
2019, Essay publication Palacio del Alba y el Ocaso, in: book 100x100 Diseño Chileno, edited by P. Pozo;
2019, Essay publication The Relational Surface, in: book Interior Futures, edited by H. Harris, G. Brooker, K. Walker, London;
2017, Talk Entanglement, Systems Group at Victoria & Albert Museum, London