Philia
Magazine

Kieu Tran is a Vietnamese American artist based in New York City whose sculptural practice explores the relationship between form, emotion, and material. Working primarily with ceramics, she creates biomorphic works that move between abstraction and figuration, translating internal and psychological experiences into physical form.

Tran studied art history at UCLA before building a career in software engineering in Silicon Valley, while developing her ceramics practice alongside it. A residency at La Meridiana in Tuscany in 2019 marked a turning point, and in 2021 she left the technology industry to dedicate herself fully to art.

Her work has been exhibited at the Bakersfield Museum of Art, Art Miami, and Art Market San Francisco, and featured in Interior Design, Surface, Sight Unseen, EST Living, and Design Anthology Asia. Her sculptures are held in private collections internationally.

Six Dots Design is an East London-based furniture and homeware studio founded by British designer Joseph Ellwood in 2020. With a background in architecture, Ellwood studied at the University of Bath before completing his master’s degree at the Royal College of Art, while an early period working alongside a cabinet designer and maker brought him closer to the process of furniture making. These experiences eventually led to Six Dots Design, where architecture, craft and experimentation come together in a distinctly playful and unconventional approach to furniture.

Since presenting its first collection, Contemporary Vanity, Six Dots Design has developed an increasingly recognisable presence within contemporary British design. Ellwood’s work embraces individuality and the imperfections of the making process, creating objects with a sense of character that often sit somewhere between the functional and the expressive. Alongside independent collections and exhibitions, the studio has collaborated with brands including Rimowa, H&M, IKEA, Maison Margiela and CUPRA, while its work has been presented at Collectible in Brussels and recognised by Wallpaper, which named Six Dots among its “Future Icons” in 2022 and awarded the studio a Wallpaper Design Award in 2026.

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.

Dan Schneiger is an American architect, artist, and designer whose multidisciplinary practice explores the intersection of architecture, sculpture, and collectible design. Trained as an architect at the University of Minnesota, Schneiger spent nearly two decades working on public, commercial, and residential projects before establishing his independent practice dedicated to sculptural furniture, lighting, and artworks. His work reflects an ongoing dialogue between architectural thinking and handcraft, creating pieces that balance structural precision with artistic expression.

Rooted in a deep appreciation for making by hand, Schneiger’s practice investigates the relationship between technology, materiality, and form. Rejecting the increasingly digital nature of contemporary design, he embraces traditional processes to create works that reveal the tactile qualities of wood, metal, and stone while maintaining a distinctly architectural language. Blurring the boundaries between art and design, his sculptural furniture and lighting embody a timeless sensibility shaped by craftsmanship, material honesty, and a refined understanding of space.

Sandra Lipovetsky is a French state-certified architect and the founder of ODA LIK Studio. After fifteen years designing interiors for leading luxury houses across Paris and New York, she established a practice spanning architecture, collectible design, and sculpture.

Guided by an interest in perception, femininity, and material transformation, Lipovetsky creates sculptural works that shift with changing light and perspective. Combining dichroic glass with mirror-polished stainless steel, her pieces invite an evolving dialogue between object, space, and viewer.