Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 32
Occupation: Architect and designer.
Instagram: @kikigoti
Hometown: Thessaloniki, Greece.
Studio location: Brooklyn.
Describe what you make: I make objects and spaces that use color, light, texture, and patterns to express individuality and identity.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: My first piece U+II Mirror has a special place in my heart. This is how I entered the collectible design world. My latest series Neo-Vanity captures the essence of my work the most. Exuberant, folklore and feminine—these qualities express what I call a “pop vernacular.”
Describe the problem your work solves: It solves for uniformity and monotony. I’m trying to create objects and spaces that are intriguing, stimulative, bizarre, and uncanny. I don’t ever want to be predictable—or worse, expected!
Describe the project you are working on now: My latest collection, Neo-Vanity. It will be shown in Milan during Alcova (April 17–23). For this project, I’m designing a dressing room, a transitional space that celebrates beauty, ornamentation, and eroticism. All four pieces of this collection are adorned with hand-painted motifs inspired from the Balkan region where I come from. Growing up, I was always fascinated by the Balkan women that surrounded me. They are expressive, dynamic, and audacious. The Neo-Vanity collection is my love letter to them.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: For NYCxDesign, I’m designing a new series of objects made entirely out of aluminum. I wanted to push myself and try something completely without color, yet still achieve a sense of movement and playfulness. So I’m using layers, light, and shadow instead.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Sunlight and coffee.
What you do when you’re not working: I’m at home. I’m very lucky to have an apartment I love. I’m either enjoying the space alone or having friends over for dinners, parties, or last-minute casual hangouts.
Sources of creative envy: Nathalie Du Pasquier, Anni Albers, Niki de Saint Phalle, Gaetano Pesce.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Coffee breaks and sugar cravings.
Concrete or marble? Concrete.
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse.
Remember or forget? Remember.
Aliens or ghosts? Aliens.
Dark or light? Light.
