Philia
Magazine

Mylène Niedzialkowski is a French designer whose practice explores the expressive potential of raw materials through a process of experimentation, reduction, and craftsmanship. Working between Paris and the southwest of France, she creates collectible furniture, lighting, and sculptural objects distinguished by minimal forms, subtle irregularities, and an enduring respect for material integrity. Each work emerges from a careful dialogue with its medium, allowing texture, colour, and inherent properties to guide the creative process rather than impose upon it.

Rooted in an ever-growing archive of found materials, production remnants, textiles, and everyday objects, Niedzialkowski’s practice balances intuitive making with refined precision. Her studio functions as both a material library and a cabinet of curiosities, where local resources and collected fragments become the starting point for new creations. Through this restrained yet poetic approach, she develops timeless works that blur the boundaries between functional design, sculpture, and contemporary craft.

Verónica Mar is a Spanish artist and designer whose work explores the relationship between nature, energy, and human emotion. Working across collectible furniture and sculptural objects, she creates refined forms that express balance, harmony, and simplicity, distilling the essence of the natural world through a minimalist visual language.

Trained in both fine arts and interior design, Mar approaches each creation as an object with its own presence and emotional resonance. Her work is distinguished by its sculptural purity, quiet elegance, and enduring connection to nature.

Pani Jurek is the creative practice of Polish artist and designer Magda Jurek, whose work exists at the intersection of art, craftsmanship, and collectible design. Trained as a painter, she approaches furniture, lighting, and objects as sculptural compositions, exploring colour, material, and interaction while challenging conventional notions of function.

Working on an artisanal scale alongside Michał Borecki, Pani Jurek creates pieces that evolve through their relationship with space and the people who use them. Guided by experimentation and a painter’s sensitivity to composition, the studio transforms everyday objects into expressive works that blur the boundaries between fine art and design.

Sander Bottinga is a Dutch designer whose work explores the relationship between light, form, colour, and authentic materials. After more than two decades working across interior and design studios, he established his own practice to create collectible furniture and objects distinguished by refined craftsmanship and understated elegance.

Produced in limited editions and often handcrafted in collaboration with artisan workshops, Bottinga’s creations balance sculptural simplicity with material honesty. His work reflects a deep appreciation for handmade processes, resulting in timeless objects defined by individuality, warmth, and enduring character.

Umberto Bellardi Ricci is a German-Italian architect, sculptor, and designer based in New York, where he founded UBR Studio in 2019. Working across collectible furniture, lighting, sculpture, and interiors, his practice explores the dialogue between architecture and sculpture through a distinctive language of form, scale, and materiality. Drawing on his architectural background and years of teaching, he creates works that balance industrial elements with refined natural materials, blurring the boundaries between functional design and sculptural expression.

Characterized by geometric clarity, meticulous craftsmanship, and a fascination with contrast, Bellardi Ricci’s work juxtaposes aluminum, steel, bronze, and stone with glass and textiles to create sculptural compositions that investigate the spatial qualities of architecture. Through UBR Studio, he develops collectible objects and interiors distinguished by their material richness, structural precision, and contemporary architectural vocabulary.

Lee Sisan (b. 1995) is a South Korean designer and artist based in Seoul whose practice spans furniture, lighting, sculpture, and spatial design. Originally trained in interior design, he developed a deep appreciation for the natural world while studying in a landscape surrounded by mountains and rivers. Fascinated by the individuality of stone and its resistance to standardization, he explores the dialogue between nature and artificiality, tradition and modernity, translating these tensions into contemporary functional objects.

Working across materials including stone, wood, leather, and metal, Lee embraces experimentation to reveal their inherent character and expressive potential. Through a refined design language rooted in material honesty and craftsmanship, he creates sculptural works that balance purity of form with everyday function. Alongside his independent practice, he co-founded the spatial design studio PRACTICE in 2020, extending his multidisciplinary approach across architecture, interiors, and exhibition design.