Today, we celebrate International Artist Day. From the most renowned painters to the most obscure designers, all artists deserve praise for their wondrous creativity that fills our world with a little bit of joy.
Likewise, the designers of the furniture, decor and lamps available at Sol Luminaire are also artists in their own right – creating sculptural pieces that elevate and breathe new life into our humble abodes.
To commemorate this day, we not only highlight these designers, but we have also picked their brains on what inspires their craft and what we can expect from their brands in 2023.
a-emotional light
Emotions are at the very core of this brand. With over 20 years of experience with handcrafted luminaires, a-emotional light has committed itself to innovation of decorative lamps that evoke feelings within anyone who enters the illuminated space.
“Offer people the possibility of surrounding themselves with elements that make our spaces more comfortable to live in, move them through materials, shapes or light,” said designer Isaac Piñeiro. In line with the brand’s constant design philosophy and evolution, 2023 will see some new surprises. “The beginning of a new path for the brand through light, materials and design,” teased Piñeiro.
Makhno Studio
Architect, designer and ceramist Sergey Makhno is the founder of this Kyiv-based studio that specialises in contemporary Ukrainian projects that intertwine traditional aspects with futurism.
“I want my art to make my clients' homes special and their lives better. And one even more important mission is to show Ukrainian art to the world,” said Makhno. The studio has completed over 600 projects in 21 countries and they have won multiple awards, such as the Red Dot Design Award, the International Property Award and the Architecture MasterPrize.
The ongoing war in Ukraine is not stopping Makhno Studio from doing what it does best. “Unfortunately, the situation in our country is very unstable, but we are making maximum efforts for a massive victory. The studio is working, we are developing interesting new items. We have so many ideas that we will surprise everyone a lot.”
llll
“I was not so much inspired by an individual but rather by the different cultures I witnessed during my travels in the Middle East, Africa and Asia,” said founder Sarah Dehandschutter.
She continued: “I would especially mention Arabic Calligraphy. The process of engaging with the materials culminated in the current shapes reduced to essentials. The potential is limited by the materials I work with, which becomes my biggest inspiration.”
With multiple decades of experience culminating in llll, Dehandschutter has mastered the combination of artistry, spatial awareness and functional lighting that uplifts any home. And the learning and experimental process continues – in 2023, the designer is exploring new technical possibilities and designs.
Frédéric Saulou
This artisanal French furniture designer literally cannot live without stone. Whenever he is in the studio, his pocket contains a pen, paper and a little slab that shows his love for the core materials used in the Domesticate Collection.
This collection sees forgotten stones – limestone and slate – that have been reintegrated by the hands of Saulou with other traditional materials in contemporary designs.
Saulou's biggest inspiration is drawn from nature and it came as no surprise that he would like to live by the ocean. “I imagine my future home would probably be near the sea, surrounded by nature and with a really little house – almost totally made of wood, with a little workshop,” said the designer.
Sticky Glass
Developed by Grace Whiteside, this New York-based collective specialises in multi-functional performative glassware that aims to take the mundane out of everyday tasks such as eating and drinking.
“I hope our glassware can act as a point of connectivity between folks. My work is meant to be used, shared, gifted, and act as a point of conversation. Without this interaction, the work seems to hold less importance in its existence,” said Whiteside.
The collective’s absurdly shaped objects pull inspiration from all sorts of wacky things from the worm emoji to one of her favourite authors, Dr Seuss. “We are scaling up next year and have been incubating a lighting collection that we are very excited about. Stay tuned!”
Isac Elam Kaid
“If I'm trying to achieve anything, it's very personal. It's about cultivating my eye and my skill and stripping down what is unnecessary to get closer to what I really want to create,” said Kaid.
Since leaving architecture and starting his own practice with fine furniture in 2019, Kaid has been exhibited and published internationally. His designs are unique, with only a few pieces being made, and they are based on the exploration of material, source and process.
“I can't imagine a home without knowing the site that it sits on. For me, a space has to respond to its environment,” said the designer. Kaid added: “I would dream of a site that presents a design challenge and a home that is simple and open and that can also change and evolve with your life.”
