Philia
Magazine
Studio Chacha Picks From Philia Collection
Studio Chacha, founded by Cha Shin-sil, is a Seoul-based design studio working primarily with glass. Her practice explores the delicate balance between control and unpredictability inherent in the material, embracing the transformative qualities of heat, light, and transparency.
Through experimental processes, Cha reinterprets familiar forms into sculptural objects that blur the boundary between function and art. By layering colors, altering geometric structures, and manipulating glass through lampworking techniques, her work creates optical depth and shifting visual effects that invite closer observation.
Positioned between collectible design and material exploration, Studio Chacha produces objects and furniture that emphasize the expressive potential of glass, where subtle variations in color, texture, and form transform everyday typologies into unexpected visual experiences.
Dust and Form Picks From Philia Collection
Dust + Form is a Vermont-based design studio founded by ceramicist and designer Brielle Rovito. Working across sculptural ceramics, vessels, lighting, and functional objects, the studio explores the relationship between materiality, form, and the rhythms of the natural world.
Rooted in an appreciation for transformation and impermanence, Dust + Form creates pieces that balance rawness with refinement. Drawing inspiration from cycles of growth, decay, and renewal, the studio’s work reflects a poetic approach to craftsmanship, resulting in objects that encourage presence, reflection, and a deeper connection to everyday rituals.
Aver Design
Jefferson Aver is a Brazilian artist and designer, and the founder of Aver Design. Driven by continuous research and experimentation, his practice explores the expressive potential of materials through collectible lighting and sculptural objects. Working primarily with local materials, particularly Brazilian natural stones, he seeks to reveal the essence of each material while transforming it into contemporary forms.
Moving between art and design, tradition and modernity, Aver creates pieces distinguished by their sculptural presence, refined craftsmanship, and strong connection to materiality.
Alexia Vela Akasaka – FAKASAKA
Alexia Vela Akasaka is an interdisciplinary Brazilian designer born to a Bolivian mother and a Japanese father. Raised in São Paulo, Brazil, she moved to the UK in 2020 to pursue a foundation diploma in arts and design at Central Saint Martins. Following that, she attended the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Interdisciplinary Studies in 2024.
Alexia’s mixed heritage deeply informs her design work, where she explores how different cultural and ethnic identities blend, clash, and coexist in Brazilian contemporary culture. This is often expressed in her work through shape and form as a subtle cue to explore experiences and the process of self-discovery, which are brought through quiet references to people and moments lived interwoven within fluid shapes.
