Philia
Magazine
Kazuhiro Yamanaka
Kazuhiro Yamanaka is a Japanese designer whose multidisciplinary practice spans collectible furniture, product and lighting design, and installation. Born in Tokyo, he studied at Musashino Art University before completing his MA at the Royal College of Art in London. Throughout his career, Yamanaka has collaborated with international design houses including Ligne Roset, Boffi, Ingo Maurer, Alessi, Pallucco, and SAAZS, developing a body of work characterized by experimentation, precision, and a particular sensitivity to light and space.
Central to Yamanaka’s practice is an exploration of the relationship between objects, their surroundings, and the invisible void they define. His work has entered the collections of institutions including MoMA in New York and the Power Station of Art in Shanghai, where his first major solo exhibition was held in 2017. Alongside his design practice, he has taught at Musashino Art University since 2014 and has served as a visiting professor at the China Academy of Art since 2020. In 2025, his work was recognized with the Dezeen Award for Best Lighting Design of the Year.
Chaeyoung Lee
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 5 Picks From Philia Collection
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
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
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.
Heakyoung Jang
Heakyoung Jang is a South Korean designer and the founder of FICT STUDIO, an independent design practice established in 2016. Inspired by the phrase “From Craft to Industry,” the studio explores the flow and intersections between craft and industry, examining how traditional knowledge and contemporary production can coexist and inform one another.
Drawing on her background in industrial design, Jang investigates the cultural, emotional, and material dimensions of craft, viewing it as more than a set of techniques or processes. Through material experimentation and process-based research, her work reinterprets traditional values within a contemporary context, creating objects that explore the relationship between materiality, technology, memory, and time. Conceived as both a studio and an experimental platform, FICT STUDIO demonstrates how craft and design can generate new forms of meaning and relevance within contemporary culture.
Andreas Anwander Picks From Philia Collection
Andreas Anwander is an Austrian designer and craftsman based in Brazil. Shaped by experiences across Europe, the United States, and South America, his work reflects a dialogue between European precision and Brazilian material richness.
Working primarily with certified Brazilian woods, stone, and brass, Anwander creates furniture distinguished by refined details, clean lines, and exceptional craftsmanship. Each piece is developed with a deep respect for materiality, balancing contemporary forms with traditional making techniques.
Known for his meticulous approach and distinctive design language, Anwander’s work explores the intersection of innovation and craft, resulting in timeless pieces defined by authenticity, precision, and lasting quality.
