Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 30
Occupation: Designer.
Instagram: @benbarberstudio
Hometown: Vancouver, Canada.
Studio location: Vancouver, Canada.
Describe what you make: Design and manufacture contemporary furniture and lighting fixtures. All my products are based off of collections which can be customized to various finishing options and dimensions, and expanded beyond into commission-based work.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: The Pluto Table. It was the first piece I designed that truly speaks to the ethos of what I want my work to be about. It’s playful, yet refined to the bare minimum. It’s a wonderful reference point to when I found my voice in design and acts as a source of direction for what I want my work to be.
Describe the problem your work solves: By using form and materials, my work gives weight to a space and thus gives you a sense of your own physicality.
Describe the project you are working on now: I have a few! I recently completed a one-of-a-kind chair for The Future Perfect, which is currently showing at their New York City gallery until June 1. I’m launching our first lighting collection at ICFF, expanding our retailer network into Europe, and constantly refining the manufacturing processes within the studio to be as efficient as possible.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: Our first lighting collection, called Bora, will launch later this month at ICFF during NYCxDesign. It’s a blend of familiar manufacturing processes paired with explorations into glass blowing and subtle details. The initial launch will showcase a system of pendants: the Bora.6, Bora.2, and Bora.1. Each number relates to the number of luminaires. We’re expanding to sconces and floor lamps in the near future. ICFF opens on May 19, so come say hi at booth 829!
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Gotta have snacks, and by snacks I mean a reliable supply of cookies.
What you do when you’re not working: If you know me, I have way too many hobbies. Cycling in the summer, snowboarding in the winter, or fly fishing in the fall. You may also find me enjoying a glass or two of vino…
Sources of creative envy: Robert Smithson, Oscar Torlasco, Alex Da Corte, Donald Judd, Piet Mondrian, Kwangho Lee, Alma Allen, Stanley Kubrick, Jean-Luc Godard, Gilles Deleuze.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Negative people.
Concrete or marble? Concrete.
High-rise or townhouse? High-rise.
Remember or forget? Remember.
Aliens or ghosts? Aliens all the way.
Dark or light? You can’t have one without the other.
