Philia
Magazine
Kodai Suga
Kodai Suga is a Japanese metal artist and sculptor whose practice explores the expressive possibilities of metal through sculptural form and patination. After completing his Master’s degree in Arts and Crafts at Kanazawa College of Art in 2020, he developed an approach to bronze that combines precise, minimal forms with richly varied surfaces, using chemical reactions to create distinctive colours and textures.
Working with bronze casting and self-developed patination techniques, Suga embraces the changing and unpredictable qualities of metal as an integral part of his process. His works often balance a sense of strength and delicacy, exploring the relationship between material, form and perception. His work has been presented internationally at fairs including TEFAF Maastricht, Treasure House Fair, FAB Paris, Art SG, and ZONAMACO, as well as in exhibitions with A Lighthouse called Kanata in Tokyo.
Bernal & Semerciyan
Bernal & Semerciyan is a collaborative practice founded by Graziella Semerciyan and Camillo Bernal, bringing together their complementary backgrounds in art, curation, interior architecture and design. Semerciyan’s experience spans the auction and gallery worlds, with a particular focus on decorative arts and design, while Bernal’s practice is rooted in interior architecture and a close engagement with craftsmanship and specialised workshops. Their collaboration grew from a shared interest in how objects are understood not only through their histories, but also through the spaces, materials and contexts that surround them.
Working across exhibitions, scenography, interiors, furniture and objects, the duo approaches curation and spatial design as part of a continuous process. Their projects bring historical and vernacular pieces into dialogue with contemporary design and craftsmanship, creating connections across periods, cultures and disciplines. Rather than following a fixed aesthetic language, Bernal & Semerciyan develops each project in response to its particular context, with an emphasis on research, materiality and the relationships between objects and space.
Brendan MacFarlane – Jakob+MacFarlane
Brendan MacFarlane is a New Zealand-born architect and co-founder of the Paris-based architecture, urbanism, research and design practice Jakob+MacFarlane, established with Dominique Jakob in 1998. A graduate of SCI-Arc, he received his master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Through Jakob+MacFarlane, MacFarlane has developed an experimental and socially engaged approach to architecture, responding to contemporary environmental, cultural and urban challenges. Key projects include the Frac Centre-Val de Loire, the Orange Cube, the Docks – Cité de la Mode et du Design and Restaurant Georges at the Centre Pompidou. In 2025, the practice represented France at the Venice Biennale of Architecture, in association with Eric Daniel-Lacombe and Martin Duplantier, with Living With, exploring adaptation to climate and geopolitical crises.
Tala Fustok
Tala Fustok is an English-Palestinian interior designer and founder of London-based Tala Fustok Studio. Drawing on her multicultural heritage and architectural training at London’s Architectural Association, her work combines diverse influences with an intuitive approach. After working in Paris on projects including Hôtel de Crillon, she returned to London, where she designed the award-winning Mandrake Hotel before establishing her own practice. Her studio was named to the AD100 in 2025.
Through Tala Fustok Studio, she creates immersive residential, hospitality and commercial interiors shaped by art, collectible design, materiality and architecture. Her projects span residences and hospitality spaces internationally, including Laylow in Notting Hill and projects for The Mandrake. Characterised by raw and refined materials, experimental colour and unexpected details, her interiors balance atmosphere, comfort and function. In 2026, Fustok is expanding into furniture and lighting with her first collection, developed with artisans in the UK and southern Italy.
David Trubridge
David Trubridge is a New Zealand-based designer known for his work across lighting, furniture and sculptural installations. Originally trained as a naval architect at Newcastle University in Britain, he later established himself as a designer and maker after a five-year sailing journey with his family that brought him to New Zealand. His practice combines craftsmanship, sculptural exploration and contemporary design technology, deeply informed by nature.
Trubridge’s work has gained international recognition, with pieces held in major collections including the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Among his notable works are Body Raft, produced by Cappellini, and the Icarus installation, acquired by the Centre Pompidou. In 2019, he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to design.
Matteo Ferrari
Matteo Ferrari is an Italian architect based in Madrid and founder of Matteo Ferrari Studio. Since establishing the practice in 2015, he has worked internationally across retail, hospitality and residential projects, collaborating with both global brands and independent clients. His experience across different contexts and scales has shaped an approach grounded in sensitivity to place, material and the particular requirements of each project.
His work is defined by a continuous dialogue between international perspectives and local craftsmanship, rather than by a fixed or recognisable aesthetic. For Ferrari, architecture begins with an attentive reading of its context and brief, allowing each project to develop its own identity in response to its surroundings, purpose and circumstances.
