Nitzan Cohen is the second designer for Mattiazzi that we are pleased to bring you an interview with as part of our introduction to the Mattiazzi range of furniture. Cohen designed the He Said/She Said chairs for Mattiazzi and in our interview reveals their story and a few little secrets about them, as well as his close working relationship with the Italian company.

If you missed our earlier interview with Sam Hecht of the Branca chair, here is a link to it.

(above) He Said chair left, She Said chair right

What led you to pursue a career in design?
A fascination with the visual world and the power of creating something that wasn't there before. Prior to studying design, my view of it was obviously rather vague, it was more a gut feeling that drew me to it. I guess i was always fascinated with objects and certain related esthetics.

How would you describe your design philosophy?
The designer in our modern consumer-based society is sometimes mistakenly seen as the one who has to feed the system. Keep it going by inventing and reinventing, shaping and reshaping, making new things for the sake of being new… Whereas questioning all that seems at times out of the question.

We try to question, to look for questions that are interesting enough to answer. It is as part of looking at design as methodical process. It is a way of working and of a way to look at things.

How did you come to work with Mattiazzi and what was it about the company that appealed to you in partnering with them?
The first contact was made through a friend who worked with them on other projects and thought there  was an interesting potential for me and them to meet; so we did and we've worked together ever since... 

(above) He Said chair

Could you tell us a little of the design story behind the He Said/She Said pieces?
The original question from Mattiazzi was to design a chair for a café, a full wood chair suitable for the high-end design market and the mass produced contract market at the same time.

The original idea was to create a piece that would use the advantages and simplicity working with a half ready material (wood profiles) -together with the sophisticated and technologically advanced  CAD-CAM 3-dimensional production possibilities. So are the chairs -on one side have simplicity and lightness but hold a great quality and subtle sophistication. 

(above) She Said chair

Mattiazzi have disproved the modern myth that mechanized manufacturing is not a craft. How did their approach to manufacturing differ from other companies you have worked with in the past?
What Mattiazzi has is unique - as what you quote here from one of the first texts we had written. It is a truly special combination of hand work and manual model making with direct reference and a view forward towards the industrialisation of the model and its later production with computer controlled carving and so forth.
What makes Mattiazzi unique (amongst many aspects) is exactly that ability - the hand work, detailing and accuracy of manual labour to be combined by as a single process with the in-house mass industry. The fact it all takes place at one place by the same people is unique and practically impossible to the greater part of this industry. 

Can you tell us a secret about the chair? Perhaps a less well know fact?
Now there are a couple, yet actually the She said was the original chair we developed all along. Only in the very last minute of the project development came the other variation - the He said as a complimentary 'counter partner'. At first i wasn't sure if it is the right thing to do - having two version of the same, yet visually it was so convincing that I went along with it. I showed it to Mattiazzi who made an extra quick model and almost instantly put it to production together with the already existing 'she said' model... So that we suddenly had two chairs, not one to name and that was the first incentive for their combined unusual name...

(above) She Said table

Which do you prefer? He Said or She Said and why?
It depends on the context around.
Like in life, once it's he is better for the job but mostly she is...

What’s your favorite piece of furniture (if you can choose just one!)
Also here, it really depends on context. Good design is universal but 'favourite' is not only personal but also varying... Talking here about the Asia pacific context Shiro Kuramata's work is really an all time favourite and the almighty  'How High The Moon'  with it's wonderful poetic name must be that one piece I would choose (though mentioning it alone does all the rest unjust...) 

What’s next, anything you’re excited about?
Well... I am very excited a new special new chair and bar stool we have been working on together with Mattiazzi and which we will launch in the coming Milan Salone del mobile in April.  

Which is your favourite city in Asia Pacific and why?
I haven't been fortunate enough in getting to know the Asia pacific area as much as I would like to... I really love Asia and whenever I am there I always want to more... If I had to pick one city it must be Tokyo... always putting a charmed smile on face... 

Posted by Lauren Evans

Sam Hecht is one half of Industrial Facility, the studio behind the widely acclaimed Branca chair for Mattiazzi that takes its inspiration from the wooden branches of a tree. As regular readers will know, we are very pleased to have recently added the Mattiazzi range of products to the Herman Miller Asia Pacific collection. We caught up with Hecht who revealed his own design story and his experiences working with the Mattiazzi family to create Branca. Enjoy our interview below.

What led you to pursue a career in design?
My father sold electrical products like radios and toasters. Sometimes customers would return them and for pocket money he would ask me to have a go at repairing them. He knew nothing about how things worked – he was a salesman – and so I took everything apart. I started to see why things were made they way they are. Some products – particularly from Braun – were very cleverly put together. This interest led me to design – but design were the workings of it can influence the way it looks and feels.

My father still asks me to fix things!

How would you describe your design philosophy?
Simplicity that is inspirational – why have something complicated!

How did you come to work with Mattiazzi and what was it about the company that appealed to you in partnering with them?
Mattiazzi had invited me to design a wooden product for their second collection – the first being by Nitzan Cohen. I visited them with my colleague of the last 15 years – the Japanese designer Ippei Matsumoto. I warned them that I had not designed a lot of furniture, and certainly not a chair, and this was the reason they had asked me. I think they were interested in me because of my innocence and naivety. Perhaps what I would be suggesting would push them further than they had gone before.

We inspected their factory, smelt the air and tasted the food. I loved it.

Could you tell us a little of the design story behind your Branca chair for Mattiazzi?
Branca was my first chair design. I had waited some 20 years to gather the courage to imagine what a modern and relevant chair could be. To respect comfort and lightness, but also to respect Mattiazzi and the knowledge they had built up over many years. It was a real team effort, and much of my role was making a series of careful decisions both functional and sculptural. There were no pre-conditions, and so I made my own. I wanted a chair that was fluid because I knew Mattiazzi could do this. Like a tree that forms a branch through growth rather than construction. I wanted a chair that had armrests but could also stack, and to fit under a table. I wanted a chair to be comfortable to the body and to the eye. When it was finally completed, we all stood back and said it was quite something. Within a year it had been selected by 4 museum permanent collections, had been honoured as Design of the Year 2011 and won many awards. It meant that the conditions that were self-made were correct because they had become universal – and that is no easy accomplishment.

Mattiazzi have disproved the modern myth that mechanised manufacturing is not a craft. How did their approach to manufacturing differ from other companies you have worked with in the past?
The difference with Mattiazzi that people seem to forget is that they apply a craftsmen’s attitude to everything. Anyone can buy a machine for manufacturing, but Mattiazzi use the machine like a they would a hand tool. They craft the mechanization. With this commitment to quality, they have pioneered a new typology for craft.

Can you tell us a secret about the chair? Perhaps a less well-known fact?
A chair with not a single screw!! It seems not possible. Also, the arms are parallel with the floor, so you can rest it upside down on a table for cleaning.

There are a few colour options with the product - which is your preferred?
I like two – natural ash (which reminds me of pasta with only olive oil – simple and classic!) and Green which is based on a tree colour we found in a forest in the south of England.

What’s your favourite piece of furniture (if you can choose just one!)
Such a difficult question – it changes all the time…..I would say the Landi Chair by Swiss designer Hans Coray.

What’s next, anything you’re excited about?
Some projects for Herman Miller [stay tuned! - ed.] – and a ‘Tent’ for Louis Vuitton.

Which is your favourite city in Asia Pacific and why?
Tokyo -  it’s where I lived and it influenced me a lot. In fact, it’s energy still surprises me whenever I go back.

Posted by Lauren Evans

(above) Mann Singh with his 'phul' chair. Image courtesy of designboom

Mann Singh's Indian culture is thoroughly embedded in his designs. By using traditional Indian craft methods in his practice, his design pieces are an amalgamation of his contemporary design aesthetic, the physical properties of materials and the methods and experience of the craftspeople he works with. The Italian company Driade recognised Mann Singh's talent for "showing us a different world of non-globalized design" and commissioned a series of bowls as part of their collection. To create the bowls, Singh has used decoration as a structural element, which is a recurring theme in his work, to create "silvered baskets like interwoven branches, bowls made of stiffened leaves to be raised in the palms of one’s hands in sacred gestures and tree-like candleholders" (ref:driade). Mann Singh recently shared with us some thoughts on design from his studio in India. Enjoy our interview below.

(above) Chitai bowl for Driade

What is it that you enjoy most about design?
What I enjoy most about design is the experimentation and the learning. Most of my work is based on making trials and working with material. Material and the processes of working with them are really fascinating. In that sense one works from within taking into account the characteristics of the material one is involved with and the logic of the process. In experimentation one finds certain notions to push forward. Also exciting are the ups and downs of the design process i.e the elation of solving the difficulties one encounters when developing something new. One has to find a way, hence the ups and downs of elation and dejection. When one finally achieves the result which feels right, its the best feeling in the world. To design only on paper and have someone else figure out the making would be just too boring. It's great fun to learn from the people I work with and it's fun when there are joint discoveries.

(above) Kachnar I bowl for Driade

A lot of your pieces reference traditional Indian decorative elements and techniques. How has India’s culture of decoration and craftsmanship become embedded in your work?
More than referencing traditional Indian design elements I think my work is more about using traditional craft methods. I think the process of working with craftspeople influences the final outcome of the products. My work is not about the imposition of my will but of assimilation of practices, so its complex considering its very difficult to pin down tradition. Its a slippery slope. The products are the children of the successes and failures one encounters along the way. The final outcomes are not entirely predetermined. I am very interested in the idea of developing products based on praxis. It's only by studying what we do and how we do them can we develop products which are appropriate. It also keeps the designs contextual and in some cases can influence how we do things. Take the practice of drinking water. Many people drink out of a glass and many people prefer not to let the vessel touch their lips. So practices and experiences- or rather the creation of an experience guide the development of products. As regards decoration, I regard it as a natural human tendency and not something specifically Indian. What I try and do is use decoration as a structural element. In my chair for instance the leaves form the seat and back of the chair and are not applied to another surface. Without the decoration there would be no chair. The influences and references are myriad.

(above) Kachnar II bowl for Driade

Can you tell us a little about the contemporary design scene in India?
The contemporary design scene in India is still at a nascent stage and the trajectories which individual designers are following are quite different from each other. There is not enough discussion happening about the practice and industry still largely thinks of design as something used to "sex things up". There are a few individuals doing some exceptional work and I do not consider myself amongst them. Design is one of the most abused terms being bandied about. India has a huge population and faces a lot of challenges as does the world with the environment and the wellbeing of the people. But for any success to be achieved effective models of design practice have to be developed. The models seen in the developed world aren't going to work and we need to wise up.

(above) Kachnar III bowl for Driade

What inspires you?
Seeing people do things that I'm afraid of is really inspiring.

Who has influenced you?
I was very heavily influenced by my teachers MP Ranjan, Gajanan Upadhayaya and Aditi Ranjan and peers and at some point I revolted. I think the doing of the work creates its own influences. One is very often influenced by the work one has done and by extension the people one has worked with. The small influences all add up. There are a lot of designers whose work I really admire but since I never met them I don't know if they influenced me. When we were studying my entire class of 4 students was in thrall of one of our own classmates Longri Temjen Namo.

(above) Muqarna bowl for Driade

What have been your most rewarding achievements?
My work developing bamboo furniture as a student has been my most rewarding experience. That particular project is when it all came together for me.

(above) Shamadan for Driade

What’s next?
That's whats most exciting. I don't really know whats next. Good opportunities show up unexpected and the surprise is super good. I look forward to whats next.

(above) 'Phul' chair and detail. Image courtesy of designboom

How do you want your work to be remembered?
I have never thought about it. I don't know about work but I definitely want to be remembered in a happy way.

Mann Made is Singh's blog, where is you learn more about his work and design process.
You can also see coverage of his work as exhibited at the 2010 Asia Now exhibition courtesy of designboom.

Posted by Lauren Evans

Sandeep Sangaru is the founder of Sangaru Design Studio, established in 2004. The studio has a particular focus on the craft sector, working with local materials and artisans to produce contemporary design products. In 2009 their "Truss Me" bamboo furniture system (below) won a red dot design award, voted "bets of the best". With "Truss Me" Sangaru has taken the humblest of materials, bamboo and used its inherent property of high tensile strength to create a sophisticated series of furniture based on the triangular bamboo 'truss'. Last year Sandeep set up Sangaru Design Objects to produce and manufacture their designs and was awarded a gold prize at the Design for Asia Awards in the Homewares section. We caught up with Sandeep who shared with us some of his thoughts about design and some fabulous new images of the "Truss Me" pieces he's now manufacturing.

What led you to pursue a career in design?
Subconsciously my journey as a designer started as kid, looking back for where I am today. I was always a hands-on person tinkering with every day objects.

Pre-internet era accesses to information were limited, I was only aware of Architecture and Fashion design, the popular ones. One of those days I fumbled across some architecture and interior magazine, which talked about the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad a multi-disciplinary design school and then decided I have to be here and subsequently got selected to pursue Furniture Design.

Describe a typical day at the office.
Typical day? My work schedule is very organic in nature I tend work from anywhere and everywhere home, studio, traveling. Travel takes me to different parts of India on various projects working with local crafts, documenting diverse traditions and cultures through photography and films also teach at various design and craft schools.

As a multi-disciplinary designer, how would you describe your design philosophy?
Being in a multi-disciplinary environment for almost 3 years as a student and 2 more years as a teacher, allowed me to experiment and explore all possible ventures I could lay my hands on. And when I started my design studio I wanted put all these experience.

If I have to describe my design philosophy it would be something like this:
To design is to come up with a better solution for a circumstance within a context. There is always a complex set of factors acting upon each other with in this context.Being multi-disciplinary I tend observe and record from different perspective at the same time. Which, allows me to simplify the outcome, it is much easier to a deduct and cancel out factors than add new ones and this for me some how holds good, be it working on developing new ways to design with traditional methods using craft or using sophisticated tools when working with the industry, Teaching design or guiding an artisan to understand design methods, documenting or making films.

Could you tell us a little about contemporary design culture in India?
Design is very young in India it’s been only 50 years since the first Design School was established which is NID. India consists of a very small design community and its culture is also as diverse as India’s culture and it’s society. Designers over the years have worked and contributed in the areas of social issues, education, crafts & traditional practices other than the mainstream commercial design.

Design in India has been active all these years in their respective areas, but now they are all surfacing in various sectors and the world is noticing them. I hope to see it grow, find its place and make a definite impact on the world in a positive way.

What inspires you?
“The stillness encompassing the chaos inspires me”

Who has influenced you?
Everything and Everyone I have come across has influenced to think and act in certain way, good or bad.

What have been your most rewarding achievements?
The first one would be getting selected for NID to study design. Second is ‘Truss Me’ the bamboo story.

Your ‘Truss Me’ Bamboo furniture system won a red dot design award in 2009, voted ‘best of the best’. How has this impacted upon your career?
I do not know how much impact red dot did on my career; I’m still doing the same things as I was doing before. People started see my work and did put me on the world map of design somewhere.  And maybe I started seeing the potential of my work and pushed more for the world to see them.

Are the "Truss Me" pieces in production?
Yes, I established a new company last year in 2010 ‘Sangaru Design Objects’ to manufacture our designs. The launch collection for the company is ‘Truss Me’ range of bamboo furniture.

I’m also happy to share with you; the first year of establishing, Sangaru Design Objects were voted winners for the ‘Grand award’ at the Hong Kong Design Centre Awards –Design For Asia awards 2011 along with‘Gold award’ for ‘Product and Industrial –Homeware’ for ‘Truss Me’.

Tell us about your role as a design educator? What do you enjoy about teaching and does it inform your studio work?
It happened by chance and I took the opportunity to be a full time design teacher at NID between 2002-04. Since then along with my work I have been teaching at various design schools in India as a visiting faculty.

What I enjoy about teaching is the process of designing module, an assignment and intuitively evolving over the course of it. Trying to improvise and accommodate individuals and dynamics within a group in a class. Enjoy, choreographing a group to accomplish an objective, where every individual is like a different instrument.

At the end one comes out rejuvenated.

What’s next? Anything you’re excited about?
My new business is what I’m occupied with now. Excited about being my own client and multitasking!

Right now I’m giving some finishing touches to the ‘Truss Me’ collection with some additional products for Kids. Simultaneously developing a straightforward and very simple range of bamboo furniture ‘Bamboo Basics’ hope people would like them too. Got a few ideas in my mind for the ‘next’, which I’m exited about.

How do you want your work to be remembered?
I would be very happy if my work is remembered and remembered in a good way.

Visit Sangaru Design Studio to learn more.

Posted by Lauren Evans

Norman + Quaine are true pioneers of Australian design. Since they began to work together in 1989, Katherine Norman and Caroline Quaine have paved the way for today's generation of designers. They designed a furniture range that developed a loyal following by interior designers and architects and along the way defined Australian style. They did this at a time when Australian design was a relatively new concept and the industry was a male dominated one. Their furniture is intelligent, playful and beautifully detailed with nostalgic references to the past and has featured in many a design magazine interior. However what is less known about N+ Q is their multi-disciplinary approach to design and the interiors, events and advertising they have designed and directed. Their long-association with Living Edge is testament to this as they were responsible for all showroom interiors, advertising and photographic shoots during their time there. More recently they've tuned their talents to 'upcycling' by taking old pieces of furniture and giving them the Norman and Quaine treatment, with delightful results. Norman + Quaine tend to quietly get on with things, so you may not have heard all that much about them - they don't tend to blow their own trumpet so to speak. That's why we're thrilled to bring you our interview with Kath Norman and shed a little more light on their creative and enduring partnership.

(above) Grace, a stallwart of the Norman + Quaine range

How did you come together as Norman and Quaine, can you tell us the story?
Caroline and I first met In 1984 working for the American based company Mitchell Giurgola + Thorpe architects on the New Parliament House project in Canberra. Our work involved designing the custom furniture for the building-we formed part of a team of four.  Our involvement with this project lead to a wide variety of contracts within the industry including manufacturers, some of which we would secure longstanding relationships(with) in the future years. After traveling abroad and working for architects and designers, Norman +Quaine was established in 1989 in a shared studio in Surry Hills Sydney working alongside architects and interior designers. In 1993 we relocated to  a Surry Hills warehouse/ showroom to showcase our designs as Norman + Quaine.

(above) Oliver Lounge

What changes have you noticed in the design industry in Australia since you began?
It's hard to talk of the design industry in the past 25- 30 years we have been involved, after all design stretches back for centuries and there is always change. As with many industries the design industry responds to the political, economic, environmental, and social fabric of the times. The Australian design industry has expanded with the advent of accessibility to travel and international projects, media and sophisticated communication technologies. In the past Australian designers looked towards European and US furniture and design. When we first started there were only a handful of Australian furniture designers emerging. The growth and acceptance of the new face of Australian product design with manufacturers, the design community, suppliers and retailers is a credit to our industry.

(above) Louie, the newest addition to the N+Q range

You strive to produce Norman and Quaine products in Australia, has this become more difficult with an increase in offshore production?
N+Q maintain our belief in supporting local manufacture in the country or region to whom we are selling. This remains our goal, however, if change is required to maintain the quality we require we would review our manufacture policy. Currently we manufacture in Sydney and regional NSW for the Australian market and China for the Asian/Pacific region.

Do you each have a personal favourite, in the Norman + Quaine furniture range?
The Demille Chair (see below) is one of our favorites and comfortably fits in to both commercial and domestic interiors. The combination of the elegant timber frame with the contrasting chunky seam detailing and scale of the upholstered seat are very compatible. The expressed finger-jointing to the arm adds a beautiful detail. Comfortable and classic!

As well as your furniture range, the Norman and Quaine philosophy has been applied to interiors, exhibitions, advertising and styling. What ties it all together?
Our combined skills in interior and industrial design, allows us to delve in to all areas of design. It is a natural progression for us to expand into other areas of design (other than furniture). For us trying to adhere to a budget whilst producing exciting and stimulating visuals is always a challenge.

(above and below) One of each from a series of ads created for Living Edge, creative direction by Norman + Quaine

Recently you have begun working with vintage pieces, giving them a new life through restoration and combining old elements with new. Can you tell us what inspired this side of the business?
Norman +Quaine have always been interested in vintage pieces – a lot of our designs utilise the proportions of a bygone era. So it comes naturally to us to produce the combination of old with new - revitalising + recreating.

In a world which is ostensibly dependent on mass production, these individual pieces become collectors items and personalize the home.

(above) Edwardian Tea Trolley

Without revealing too many secrets, where do you find your treasures and what’s been your most exciting find?
Auctionhouses mainly, sometimes discards on the side of the road, they are usually not treasures in totality but in part can be reused as part of a table top or base for example. Our latest coffee table we love – an old tiled top incorporated with timber slats and metals base (see below).

What are you most proud of?
I guess we are proud to have had the architectural and interior designers embrace our furniture in lieu of imported product, which has allowed our business to flourish for 20 years.

Who are your design heroes?
Any designer/creator who has pushed the boundaries which existed in their time, and succeeded.

(above) Stool/side table

What inspires you?
A design solution which is so rational, so simple but immensely clever and effective.
OR a fabulous market !

How do you want your work to be remembered?
To be amongst the first few to design and produce Australian furniture in a European dominated market and to still be in business 20 years later.

Visit the Norman and Quaine website normanquaine.com.au for more information.

Posted by Lauren Evans

Jack Wang is a member of the Herman Miller Asia team. As a Product Development Engineer in the Research and Development department, he has been instrumental in developing new products for the Asia market, including the award winning and beautiful Arras product (which has become the most popular Herman Miller desking product in our region since its introduction, just over 12 months ago). But we recently discovered that Jack is also a very talented artist outside of his work with us and has created a website to showcase his latest series of paintings and drawings. It's always an inspiration to learn of someone fulfilling their passion and finding the space for it in the busy lives we all lead. We hope you enjoy our interview with Jack below.

How long have you been creating art?
It started when I was a kid. I focused a lot on Chinese calligraphy in my early years, but I found painting helps to express myself better. I use pencil to record whatever I am thinking or feeling.

How do you balance your artistic work with your paid employment, it must be challenging at times.
It is always challenging, but both of them satisfy my different needs, and they are still in balance now.

Could you tell us a little about your creative process, for example do you keep a journal or begin with rough sketches?
I always keep an eye on the objects or ideas I am interested in and, therefore I collect photos of people, color patterns, and some other art or design which inspires me. I will create random sketches to compose the idea if it’s hard to visualize in my mind. I also pour oil on a raw canvas directly to experiment with color combination.

Has your style evolved since you began?
No, not at all. Like some of the young artists, I was very bewildered at the beginning, and especially since I mostly educated myself around painting skills. It is very easy to be lured into a direction by thinking “style” is the most important thing for an artist, which is not what I believe.
Despite the fact that everyone has certain preference of how they tend to show their art, such as photography, printing, oil, acrylic, digital painting and so forth, what I believe matters more is what they tend to show in their art and the story behind all the brush strokes. Repetition of such behavior in a consistent line will form and naturally evolve the “style”.

What inspires you?
Mainly people, color, geometry, light and music.

Who has influenced you?
This will be a long list: Rembrant, Vermeer, Degas, Monet, Rodin, Kandinsky, Frank Frazetta, David A. leffel, Morgan Weistling, Ai Xuan, Hu Jundi, Xia Xiaofang, and the list goes on … …

What have been your most rewarding achievements?
If you visit my website: http://jackliangwang.wordpress.com, you will see some collections that I am working on and hopefully will be able to hang in a gallery soon. That day will be a huge achievement and most rewarding.
There’s a collection of random people portraits, projecting my understanding on their personality and style; another collection called “Morning”, exploring a sense of emotional fragility immediately after waking up every morning; also a collection called “Bali Sensation”, showing the journey of finding inner peace in an exotic region … … and the list will go on. I will continue to work on a range of topics I am exploring because I find it too difficult to elaborate on a story via only one painting … … certain ideas need repetition and emphasis to fully explore the context … …

What are your goals for the future?
Continue to explore my boundaries, and keep telling my stories via art. It is a life-long task and I may never have a break or finish the journey. If my mind stops spinning, I stop being an artist.

How do you want your work to be remembered?
Right now, I would like inspire people when looking at my work, so that it will create avenues of thought or a journey of feeling for them, that they may look at my work and pose questions that the art would later inspire answers.
To be honest, this is a difficult question to answer now as I am still exploring my own boundaries, and therefore it is hard to totally encompass how I would like the journey of my work to be remembered … … ask me again in another 10 years … 

Visit Jack's website for more information.

Kareena Zerefos is an Australian illustrator now based in London, who followed her dream and quit her full time job as a graphic designer to focus solely on her pasion for drawing. Her captivating illustrations often draw on childhood memories filtered through the melancholic eye of adulthood. Whimsy, magic and make believe all feature in Kareena's wonderful, curious world. Her work is widely exhibited with two new exhibitions this month at the Libby Edwards Galleries in Melbourne (Opening 13th October) and Open Studio at The Papered Parlour in London (22nd and 23rd October). Kareena told us a little more of her story and shared some of her most recent work with us below.

What led you to pursue a career as an illustrator?
I studied design at the College of Fine Arts (UNSW), and initially pursued a career as a graphic designer. Drawing was always just something I did, and I always kept my sketchbook by my computer. In a way, I sort of fell into my illustration career, moonlighting on freelance projects and making artwork for art’s sake, before deciding to pursue it properly and set out on my own.

Describe a typical day at the office.
My day starts with a soy piccolo on my way to work. I work in a studio called The Papered Parlour, sharing with different artists and designers, and here I try to keep ‘normal’ work hours, all to keep me motivated, and to some extent sane!

I juggle between working on commercial projects and my own artwork, from sketching up ideas to finishing off the finer details in my work, but also spend a lot of my time working on the ‘business’ side of my work – lots of emailing, reading through briefs, putting together quotes, chasing up debtors, and then the fun ‘PR’ side of things.

Things can vary a lot day to day, depending on the project and the deadline, but there is the consistent part of it all too, which just involves a lot of drawing!

Can you reveal to us some of the tools of the trade?
I work mostly with graphite, Copic markers and ink on print making papers.

How has your approach evolved over the years, do you have any rituals or routines you follow before embarking on an illustration?
There has certainly been an evolution in my process. I started out as a graphic designer, so initially this influenced my illustrative techniques, being quite reliant on layering with Photoshop and Illustrator. However, I became frustrated with the intangibility of computer- based work and started experimenting with work on paper.

I start my process with very rough concept sketches, which I develop further through collage – this is to figure out the proportions and composition before I start putting pencil to paper. Using the collage as a reference, I work on each piece in layers, usually starting with a light pencil line, working in the tone and colour with Copic markers, layering over that with ink, leaving it to dry and drawing in increasingly heavier grades of graphite over the top.

What inspires you?
A lot of my work has been inspired by a yearning to escape to a world of make-believe, a place of nostalgia but also isolation. Recently I’ve been fascinated by traveling menageries, illusion and metamorphosis in Greek mythology.

Who has influenced you?
I’ve been influenced by Egon Schiele’s figurative paintings and sketches, I saw his work in Vienna a few years ago which I feel was a catalyst for my art making, along with Salvador Dali’s watercolours. Michael Zavros, Cecilia Carlsteadt and Peter Callesen are amongst the many contemporary artists that I really admire, as well as musicians and film- makers like Samuel Beam (Iron and Wine), Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Alan Ball.

What have been your most rewarding achievements?
Quitting my day job and having my first solo exhibition back in 2008.. and more recently, being featured in TASCHEN’s Illustration Now! Vol. 4.

What’s next, anything you’re excited about?
I’ve just finished working on a series of drawings that I am exhibiting at Libby Edwards Galleries in Melbourne next month, and am getting started on a collaborative project with paper-engineer (and fellow Papered Parlour artist) Helen Friel.

How do you want your work to be remembered?
For it’s subtlety and resonating that bittersweet sense of nostalgia in the viewer.

kareenazerefos.com

Wang Zhi Hong is a Taiwanese graphic designer and art director. We first discovered Wang Zhi Hong after admiring the printed material he designed for the Xue Xue Institute's 100 Years, 100 Chairs exhibition. After looking through his portfolio it becomes clear that book design is his strength and his published work prolific, for which he has won many awards in Taiwan and internationally. His work is refined, elegant and typographically beautiful -we love the way he graphically combines languages. He really seems to be leading the field in publishing in Taiwan, so we decided to find out more... enjoy our interview below.

What led you to pursue a career in design?
When I realised there’s a difference between drawing and design.

Describe a typical day at the office.
Usually I keep a 13:00 to 06:00 schedule, dealing with what work requires, and spending some time surfing the net for all kinds of information.

Tell us about your design process – do you begin by hand or head straight to the computer?
Always on computer.

What inspires you?
Words - not just the look of them, but also the meanings behind. 

Who has influenced you?
Josef Müller-Brockmann and Neville Brody.

What have been your most rewarding achievements?
Knowing I have made some positive impact on graphic design in Taiwan’s publishing market.

What impact does living and working in Taiwan have on you as a designer. Can you tell us about Taiwan’s design culture?
Taiwan has a unique historical background, influenced by multiple cultures. Taiwan’s design culture embraces such diversity and meanwhile grows its own style out of it.

You seem to have a strong relationship with the Xue Xue Institute in Taiwan, can you tell us a little about that?
I would not say "strong," but surely we will be working together on certain projects.

What’s next, anything you’re excited about?
Not particularly, perhaps looking more into starting my own publishing business.

How do you want your work to be remembered?
As an inspiration to some people, like the works of the veteran designers to me.

Check out Wang Zhi Hong's website and blog to discover more.

Our final REACH interview is with Don Goeman, Herman Miller's Executive Vice President of Research, Design & Development. During his 30 year career with Herman Miller, Don has brought to life products such as the Aeron and Mirra chairs, the Resolve, My Studio and Vivo Office Systems, and the Leaf Light and has kindly given us a bit of insight into the process behind these iconic designs. Don will be speaking at REACH in Hong Kong this month, click here for more details.

In your career you have brought to life some of the most iconic pieces in the Herman Miller range, including both the Aeron and Mirra chairs. How does it feel to be behind such well-known and revered designs.
For all of us involved in the development process with Herman Miller, we take great pride from the association with the successful projects and designers with whom we’ve worked so hard to develop their ideas.  It feels great to see things you’ve been involved with show up in everyday cultural phenomenon.  Seeing our products as you travel around the globe, or when they appear in movies, TV shows, or other natural life settings; it sort of lightly tugs at your emotions and you remember some of the experiences you went through in their journey to become a commercial reality. 

Herman Miller has recently been listed by Fortune Magazine, as one of the 100 best companies to work for. As a veteran of 30 years experience, what do you enjoy about your work?
The creative exchanges with development teams and designers stand-out for me over the years.  Life often feels like a series of projects, but for Herman  Miller, each one has new challenges and aspirations.  When a whole team is striving to achieve something important, and the creative partner is out-front challenging the status quo, it makes any contributor feel valued when they can respond to a designer’s idea and raise-the-bar on the quality of the outcome.

As well as launching their designs, Herman Miller forms close ties with their designers, with many designing repeatedly for the company. What is it about the Herman Miller process of working with designers and bringing their products to life that fosters these relationships?
Designers seem drawn to the legacy of Herman Miller ‘abandoning’ its own internal instincts of where to lead as a business, and being ‘reverent’ to the counsel and voices of our external creative partners more naturally during the process. That was revolutionary when initiated by DJ DePree (the company’s founder 85 years ago), and even still today is not widely practiced.

REACH will be a major design event for Herman Miller in Hong Kong. What do you hope REACH will bring to the Asia Pacific audience?
Events like REACH always help make the world feel a little smaller.  REACH will help creatives meet other creatives, become more familiar with recent vibes and points-of-view about design, and maybe make new professional bonds that easily over-sail the vast distances from where we came from.  I hope the Asia-Pacific audience will glimpse some cultural trends that are also useful in their own endeavors.

How do you hope to spend some of your time in Hong Kong? Anything you’re particularly looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to the REACH event, the Aeron hockey finale, and meeting more of the local design community.  It's always refreshing to visit China and to feel the youthful energy of this region, freeing itself from more recent creative restraints.

Steven Louie is a Director at M Moser Associates in Singapore, the creative team behind the design of the Essential Eames exhibition, which will be a feature of REACH in Hong Kong this September 2011. We recently caught up with Steve to learn a little more about his thoughts and experience of designing the exhibition and his own relationship with the Eames' work, which he has answered with his typical good humour. The exhibition explores the seamless integration of Charles and Ray's creative life and passions. It's wonderful to have some insight into the creativity involved behind the scenes in putting an exhibition like this together, thank you Steve.

Tell us a little about the ‘Essential Eames’ exhibition from a design project perspective. What are the key ideas behind its concept and development as a traveling exhibition.
The design of the exhibit had been conceived in two parts; part one is the “DNA” of the Eames mind, and part two are the “ideas made physical”, in other words, the finished products. The design of the “DNA” portion has been purposely designed to reflect the vast and diverse influences that captured their interest. While each booths have been designed to express their various “worlds” of design, they have been planned so the visitor can see how they are all “connected”.

How do you think the exhibition will be received by its Hong Kong audience and what do you hope visitors will take away with them?
In general, I also regard the Hong Kong audience to be worldly and sophisticated. They will come to appreciate the genius of Charles and Ray Eames. I think the young designers of Hong Kong will be surprised when they discover that many of these items were designed before they were born, and yet they are contemporary and timeless. I wish for the viewer to walk away inspired, and to have the world of “Design” expanded beyond their current definition.

You have a history of working with Herman Miller and by association the Eames office, could you tell us a little about that?
My direct relationship has been with Herman Miller (Tokyo). I had worked closely with the former Director, Nigel Mortimer, and designed the Tokyo showroom (twice) and the Singapore showroom. In short, I was focused more on the overall products of Herman Miller rather than the Eames pieces.

How have Charles and Ray Eames influenced your own career as an architect and designer?
It was during the early 70s when I was studying at Pratt Institute, New York, when Ray and Charles Eames was introduced to me. You have to consider that back in the days of “Flower power” and “Age of Aquarius”, we not only thought we could design “anything” that walked through the door, but that our designs would solve the world’s problems. Learning about the Eames, made me see them as the eternal spirit of design that had no boundaries. They inspired me to look beyond my confines and to associate everything we do as an extension of the design process. 

Finally, what is your favorite Eames design?
This is clearly the hardest question to answer. It’s like asking a parent, which is your favorite child? I don’t  think about the Eames design as a singular piece but rather a continuous expression of their thought, or to quote them, a “30-year flash”.  However, if I pressed to single out a piece I would vacillate between the 1946 Molded Plywood chair and the 1948 La Chaise.