Philia
Magazine

Maria Loram is a ceramic artist based in California whose practice spans collectible vessels, sculptural lighting, and functional objects. Born in Russia, she brings together a multidisciplinary background in science, linguistics, yoga, and visual art, approaching ceramics as both a material investigation and a philosophical inquiry.

Inspired by wabi-sabi aesthetics, Eastern philosophies, and the natural world, Loram creates tactile forms that explore the relationship between the organic and the cosmic. Through an intuitive process of wheel throwing, hand-building, and extensive glaze experimentation, her works balance sculptural presence with functionality, inviting moments of stillness, contemplation, and connection. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at Paris Design Week, and she has participated in artist residencies across the United States and Europe.

Martina Guandalini is an Italian architect, interior designer, and product designer based in New York. Her practice spans architecture, interiors, and collectible design, united by an interest in creating spaces and objects that evoke emotion through materiality, form, and atmosphere. Working across disciplines, she develops designs that challenge convention while establishing a distinct visual language rooted in experimentation and refinement.

Guandalini gained international recognition in 2020 when she was named NYCxDESIGN Honoree for Best Emerging Designer following the debut of her Soulmate furniture collection, which was presented by Dezeen, Sight Unseen, and at the Salone del Mobile in Milan. Since then, she has continued to expand her body of collectible furniture while collaborating with leading brands and galleries, establishing a practice that seamlessly bridges architecture, interiors, and contemporary design.

Elisa Uberti is a French artist and designer based in Roubaix. After more than fifteen years in the fashion industry, she turned to ceramics, embracing craftsmanship as a way to reconnect with material, gesture, and time. Since founding her studio in 2018, she has developed a body of work that exists at the intersection of art and design, creating sculptural objects in stoneware distinguished by their soft, organic forms and quiet presence.

Guided by a pursuit of refined, timeless beauty, Uberti explores the delicate balance between technical precision and the spontaneity of hand-making. Rooted in an ancestral manual practice, her work celebrates the expressive qualities of clay, where each gesture leaves a visible trace of the making process. Through vessels, lighting, and sculptural pieces, she creates contemplative forms that evoke warmth, simplicity, and a profound connection between material, craftsmanship, and everyday life.

Hamed Ouattara is a multidisciplinary artist and designer based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. For more than three decades, he has transformed reclaimed industrial oil drums into sculptural furniture and objects that reinterpret the architectural and cultural heritage of the Sahel through a contemporary lens. Working alongside a workshop of skilled artisans, Ouattara combines traditional craftsmanship with material innovation, creating distinctive works defined by intricate textures, rhythmic forms, and a deep connection to place and history.

His work has been exhibited internationally and is held in the permanent collections of several leading museums and cultural institutions. Through a practice rooted in sustainability, craftsmanship, and storytelling, Ouattara continues to expand the dialogue between African artistic traditions and contemporary collectible design, creating works that celebrate material transformation, cultural identity, and enduring craftsmanship.

Kaori Akiyama is a Japanese designer and the founder of STUDIO BYCOLOR, a Tokyo-based design practice established in 2013. Working across product, furniture, interior, exhibition, and branding design, she explores the expressive relationship between colour, material, and form, seeking to uncover the essential character of an object while questioning conventional perceptions of the everyday.

Driven by a process of observation and material experimentation, Akiyama creates works that balance functionality with a refined sensitivity to colour and texture. Her practice has received international recognition, including the iF Design Award Gold, iF Design Award, DFA Gold Award, DIA Top 100, and Good Design Award, reflecting an ongoing commitment to thoughtful, research-led design.