Bodo Sperlein
Bodo Sperlein is a German-born designer and creative director based in London whose work bridges contemporary design and traditional craftsmanship. Working across furniture, lighting, tableware, and collectible design, he creates objects distinguished by their refined materiality and timeless aesthetic.
His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in museum collections, including Die Neue Sammlung in Munich.
Interview
I was born in Bamberg, Germany, a northern Bavarian territory.
My cousin Andrea and the tomb of Tutankhamen.
Other than doing a stint in retail, I have always worked creatively.
Studying design at Camberwell College of Arts in London.
First and foremost, well researched. I am influenced by historical methods and skills and try to bring them into the twenty-first century.
There is no typical day; projects are so varied due to materiality, style, and other challenges.
There are technical limitations in my creations due to the materiality of each work. Mixing traditional skills and modern techniques, and prioritising low-tech intervention over high-tech.
Be true to yourself
Set trends, don’t follow them
Be more unique.
The Viennese Secession is the purest and most minimal form of Art Nouveau.
Oscar Neimayer, for his principles around creating buildings for the people, such as the United Nations building. I’m more inspired by artists than designers, so I would argue people like Koloman Moser and Sophie Tauber-Arp are also influences.
Michael Anastassiades and Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec.
Cornelia Parker’s installation “An Exploded View” was particularly impactful, as was her work at the V&A.
Honest.
The importance of individualism in gallery pieces.
“Be true to yourself. Set trends, don’t follow them. Be more unique.”
The Questions
(The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust.
Other historical figures who have answered confession albums are Oscar Wilde,
Karl Marx, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Cézanne…)
8 hours sleep.
Fragility and old age.
Ordering too much food in restaurants.
Self-importance, people taking themselves too seriously.
Neil MacGregor.
Eating in restaurants.
Content.
Pronouncing words correctly the first time.
The ability to save me in an avalanche.
Nurturing.
Sculptural, materiality, historical.
Despite being told I have “piano fingers”, I do not know how to play, so I would really love if I could put them to use.
I would have gone to university earlier so I could start working creatively faster.
Surviving a car accident at 1.5 yrs old.
A supercomputer/robot/android.
In Europe.
My company.
Not getting out of bed.
Cooking.
Loyalty.
Loyalty.
Giles Morton, Erich Kästner, Stefan Zweig, Thomas-Klaus and Erika Man, Jo Orton.
Harry Palmer.
Jean Cocteau.
Scientists and people working to make the future habitable and fight disease.
Perpetua & Tristan.
Self-importance.
Not going to university earlier.
Peacefully.
Never give up.
“Mixing traditional skills and modern techniques, and prioritising low-tech intervention over high-tech.”
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