Najla El Zein’s Distortion series communicates intense expression through miraculously minimal means. The title refers to El Zein’s own corporeal transformation during pregnancy, and also (perhaps more self-evidently) to the benches’ surrealistic rounded swells. These are variously positioned, demarcating the pieces into unusual situations for seating: here there is just enough space for a couple to settle in close, there, a perch for an isolated sitter. Meanwhile, the smooth curvature of the form beckons the hand. The unusual material—concrete reinforced with resin—is sanded to a fine, almost silky texture. Even if you know nothing of El Zein and her life, sitting on a Distortion bench is an intimate experience, honed yet supple, at once hard and soft.