Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 62
Occupation: Artist/sculptor.
Instagram: @ingriddonat
Hometown: I was born in Paris, but I grew up in Sweden. I moved back to Paris when I was 19. My mother is Swedish and my father was from La Réunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean.
Studio location: One of my studios is at the Carpenters Workshop production facility, near Charles de Gaulle airport in Mitry Mori, and the other one is in the south of France in Cap Ferret.
Describe what you make: I create sculptural furniture. Most of my works are in bronze. I carve and give a patina to give warmth to what I find to be cold material.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: The Hommage à Groult is one of my most important works. This anthropomorphic cabinet with secret drawer was inspired by the Chiffonier, chef d’oeuvre by André Groult, which is part of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs of Paris’ collection.
Describe the problem your work solves: Combining function, wellbeing, and art in one.
Describe the project you are working on now: A new monumental work, called Commode Skarabé, which has been a very long and intensive concepting process. The work’s shape often takes on many different iterations from my first sketch to the final piece. I often make up my mind, and then encounter some technical challenges I need to take in consideration for my artistic conception.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: This new work will be presented for the first time during TEFAF in Maastricht in March 2020.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: I do not need specific material goods in my studio—just vibes and music.
What you do when you’re not working: To me, the most important thing is to revitalize myself being in Cap Ferret or in Biarritz surrounded by my children, grandchildren, and friends.
Sources of creative envy: Primitive and African tribal arts, Art Deco, and Art Nouveau. I also pay tribute to great artists such as Gustav Klimt, André Groult, and Gustave Eiffel.
Concrete or marble? Both. I have already made furniture in concrete, and one day I would love to incorporate stone into one of my works.
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse, like the one I have in Paris.
Remember or forget? Remember.
Aliens or ghosts? Ghosts.
Dark or light? Light.
