Philia
Magazine

Kwak Kyungtae Portrait
Designers

Kwak Kyung Tae

Kwak Kyung Tae is a Korean ceramic artist whose practice reinterprets the traditional techniques of Onggi and Buncheong pottery through a contemporary lens. Rooted in Korea’s ceramic heritage, his work explores the relationship between spontaneity, materiality, and form.

Known for his large-scale wheel-thrown vessels and expressive gestural brushwork, Kwak creates works that evoke the raw power and imperfection of nature. Working from his studio in Icheon, South Korea, his practice reflects a deeply intuitive relationship with clay shaped through decades of craftsmanship and tacit knowledge.

“Onggi was not just a form or technique; it was a way of being in dialogue with the earth, with history, and with the body.”
READ THE FULL ARTICLE
12 May 26
Fakasaka 1
Designers

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.

READ MORE
8 July 25
Edward Collinson
Designers

Edward Collinson 5 Picks From Philia Collection

Edward Collinson is a London-based artist, designer, and furniture maker whose practice sits at the intersection of fine art and collectible design. Trained as a painter at Central Saint Martins, he began creating experimental furniture in 2012, developing a distinctive body of work that combines sculptural expression with functional craftsmanship.

Working from his London studio, Collinson and his team produce bespoke commissions and made-to-order pieces for collectors, galleries, and interior designers worldwide. Crafted entirely in-house, his work is defined by a hands-on approach to making, where artistic exploration, materiality, and furniture design converge.

READ MORE
4 July 25
2 3 scaled
Designers

Eline Martherus

Eline Martherus is an Amsterdam-based contemporary artist whose practice explores the relationship between people, nature, and the rhythms that shape everyday life. Working through abstraction, she investigates themes of presence and absence, intuition and logic, translating human dynamics into layered compositions of color, movement, and form.

Drawing on a background in textile innovation, Martherus approaches painting as a process of experimentation. Using pouring techniques and natural pigments such as indigo, she creates fluid works on unprepared cotton, allowing materials to interact organically with the surface. Her paintings reflect a sensitivity to natural processes, resulting in compositions that evoke both the unpredictability and interconnectedness of life.

READ MORE
1 July 25
Portrait scaled
Designers

Super Sunday Picks From Philia Collection

Super Sunday is the Montreal-based practice of designer and craftsman Vincent Le Sauteur, working across collectible furniture and lighting. Rooted in a hands-on approach to making, the studio creates timeless pieces that balance sculptural simplicity with functional design, primarily using wood and metal.

Combining industrial design with traditional craftsmanship, Super Sunday Studio develops both bespoke commissions and limited-edition collections. Each piece reflects a thoughtful exploration of material, technique, and form, resulting in objects distinguished by refined craftsmanship and enduring character.

READ MORE
27 June 25
PORTRAIT 3 scaled
Designers

Aura Carpio

Aura Carpio (Mexico City). Mexican industrial designer graduated from the Center for Industrial Design Research (CIDI-UNAM), with an academic stay at École Bleue Global Design (Paris, 2018) and a specialty in Museography and management of exhibition spaces by the Academy of San Carlos of the Faculty of Art, Crafts and Design of the UNAM (2021).

In 2020, she created the eponymous firm Aura Carpio®, a contemporary sculptural design firm. Her work has been recognized nationally and internationally and has been exhibited in different art and design spaces.

READ MORE
24 June 25
Slow Design
Designers

Slow Design Picks From Philia Collection

SLOW is an Italian design studio founded by Roberto di Filitto and Nathalie Schneider, creating collectible objects that reinterpret Tuscan craftsmanship through a contemporary lens. Rooted in the Florentine region, the studio collaborates with local artisans to transform traditional techniques into timeless designs shaped by memory, material, and the passage of time.

Guided by a philosophy of intentional making, SLOW develops objects distinguished by refined craftsmanship, quiet elegance, and enduring character.

READ MORE
20 June 25