Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 46
Occupation: Artist, designer, and founder of my own furniture design studio.
Instagram: @christinazantonio
Hometown: London.
Studio location: Flatiron, New York.
Describe what you make: Furniture, lighting, and decorative hardware.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: Multifunctional furniture—incorporating lighting and neon into furniture and sculptures.
Describe the problem your work solves: My work is an invitation for people to connect more deeply with themselves and communally. Light is a powerful tool for meditation. In my recent work, I manipulate color and light by creating misty bioluminescent fades in the glass while using a wireless handheld dimmer so you can interact with the gradients of light. It’s a sensory experience, and you can feel your mood shift into ease and well-being.
This exploration of neuroaesthetics and imbuing that into lighting and furniture has been a really fruitful time, and it’s always unfolding. I observe the juxtapositions within my materials, finding a way for them to coexist, bringing harmony and balance. I like to turn fragile materials into structural materials. As I look back at my past work, another theme that has always been present is the pursuit of perfectionism in my quality and craft. Achieving this will allow me to be more spontaneous and fluid in my design and creative process.
Describe the project you’re working on now: I’m working on sculptural glass lighting, as well as pieces of furniture that will incorporate glass and light. I’m creating a family of playful lamps with more exploration of color. There’s another sculptural chair on the horizon, which is an evolution of the Helios chair.
There’s a movement I’m communicating and I’m not exactly sure where it will take me, and I’ve given myself permission to do that—a freedom I’ve allowed myself during the pandemic. I like not having an end game. That’s the beauty of working with glass… it’s an intuitive journey. I hope to debut my next collection by this fall.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: I’m also excited to announce that I will be on Ellen’s Next Great Designer this season, which will air on HBO Max any day now. Stay tuned!
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Positive vibes/state of mind. Natural light. Some level of organization as I find it difficult to focus in chaos. My experiments and finishes, and natural materials like gemstones. Some lightness and humor with my team. Water and snacks.
What you do when you’re not working: My life is structured around work, so when I’m not working I like the simplicity of being away from the city—cooking, being with people I love, catching up on good TV shows, and going on long walks. Travel is also what fuels my work and inspiration.
Sources of creative envy (dead or alive): Charlotte Perriand because everything she designed is timeless. Louise Bourgeois because her work is so emotional and she never stopped working until her death. Hilma af Klint for her commitment to channeling information and messages from the spirit dimension, creating blueprints for the future. James Turrell.
The distraction you want to eliminate: There are so many distractions in modern life, but the major ones are emails and social media.
Concrete or marble? Marble.
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse.
Remember or forget? Selective memory.
Aliens or ghosts? Ghosts but I’d like to learn more about aliens if space travel is on the horizon.
Dark or light? Life is a perpetual journey through darkness toward light. I’ve never known one without the other.
