Philia
Magazine

Chaeyoung Lee is a Seoul-based furniture and object designer. After studying Woodworking & Furniture Design and the Aesthetics of Art, she developed a craft-driven design practice rooted in narrative and intention.

Her work explores the translation of abstract thoughts into tangible, visual, and tactile experiences. Through furniture and objects, she gives form to everyday moments and examines the attitudes and emotions embedded within them.

Her practice continues to evolve as a way of engaging with life and the world—bridging the everyday and the artistic through making.

Nicholas Bijan Pourfard is a Southern California–based furniture designer and luthier known for his sculptural and materially driven approach to design. After crafting more than 400 bespoke guitars under the label Prisma Guitars, he transitioned from luthiery to furniture design, bringing with him a deep sensitivity to balance, structure, and handcraft.

His design philosophy centers on the exploration of materials, movement, and form, transforming these relationships into pieces that are both visually expressive and functional. Drawing from traditional techniques and contemporary sensibilities, Pourfard creates furniture that reflects a strong respect for materiality while challenging conventional typologies.

With a keen attention to detail and a commitment to craftsmanship, his work seeks to elevate everyday objects through thoughtful construction and quiet sculptural presence.

matali crasset is an internationally renowned French designer whose practice spans architecture, furniture, set design, urban planning, and public spaces. A graduate of ENSCI–Les Ateliers, she has long defended design as an artistic, anthropological, and social practice rooted in everyday life and human experience.

For over three decades, crasset has pursued a singular path guided by a human, social, and ecological approach to design, exploring how creative processes can contribute to communities and contemporary life.

Her work has been exhibited internationally and forms part of major museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. She is also deeply engaged in teaching and transmission, having lectured worldwide and taught at institutions including the Geneva School of Art and Design (HEAD) and ENS Paris-Saclay.

Christian Friedl is an Austrian designer and furniture maker based in Styria whose practice centers on sculptural furniture that balances craftsmanship, materiality, and artistic expression. Working primarily with natural materials, he creates collectible pieces distinguished by their refined forms, tactile qualities, and enduring character.

Guided by a deep respect for craftsmanship and sustainability, Friedl develops each work through a meticulous process of making and refinement. The result is a collection of singular objects that transcend functionality, embodying both material honesty and timeless design.