Philia
Magazine
Adrian Bursell
Adrian Bursell is a Stockholm-based Swedish designer whose practice explores furniture through material, craft, memory and place. Trained in fine art at HDK-Valand before studying Interior Architecture and Furniture Design at Konstfack, where he graduated in 2020, his work combines a sculptural approach with an interest in traditional techniques and locally rooted materials. His graduation project, Sticks and Stones: Souvenirs from Öland, transformed limestone, juniper and ash into furniture informed by his childhood connection to the Swedish island of Öland; the project’s Lilla Alvaret side table subsequently entered the collection of Möbeldesignmuseum.
Alongside his independent practice, Bursell collaborates with designer Siri Svedborg. Their Burn & Turn series brings together turned wood with materials including hand-worked glass, ceramic and cast aluminium, emphasizing variation, tactility and the presence of the maker. The collection received Sight Unseen’s Best in Show award at Greenhouse during Stockholm Furniture Fair in 2024, and the pair were later awarded an IKEA scholarship through Young Swedish Design for the project. Across his work, Bursell approaches furniture as a meeting point between functional object, craftsmanship and material experimentation.
Louise Liljencrantz
Louise Liljencrantz is a Swedish interior and furniture designer based in Stockholm and co-founder of Veermakers, whose practice explores the relationship between sculptural form, natural materials, and enduring craftsmanship. Since founding her interior design studio in 2009, she has become known for creating refined, bespoke interiors distinguished by timeless elegance, tactile materiality, and meticulous attention to detail.
In 2017, Liljencrantz co-founded Veermakers in collaboration with KFK Cabinet Makers, extending her design philosophy into a collection of collectible furniture, lighting, and objects. Working closely with master cabinetmakers and artisans, she creates pieces defined by honest materials, balanced proportions, and uncompromising craftsmanship, resulting in works that celebrate permanence, sustainability, and the enduring beauty of Scandinavian design.
Arthur Bitsch 5 Picks From Philia Collection
Arthur Bitsch is a French artist and designer based in Strasbourg. Working across collectible design, sculpture, scenography, and artistic direction, he develops a multidisciplinary practice that explores the relationship between function, symbolism, and narrative. Rooted in both design and visual arts, his work challenges conventional typologies through a distinctive sculptural language that balances conceptual inquiry with material experimentation.
Drawing inspiration from mythology, ritual, architecture, and cultural memory, Bitsch creates objects that blur the boundaries between art and design. Combining handcrafted processes with contemporary production techniques, he develops works distinguished by bold forms and expressive materiality, transforming everyday objects into evocative vessels for stories, emotions, and collective memory.
Ayşe Yasaman Demir 5 Picks From Philia Collection
Ayşe Yasaman Demir is an Istanbul-based interior architect and designer whose practice spans interiors and collectible design. Through Studio Ayşe Demir, she creates sculptural mirrors and objects that investigate the interplay between material, light, and perception. Guided by an intuitive, hands-on approach to making, her designs transform everyday elements into expressive forms that blur the boundary between art and function.
Rooted in craftsmanship and material experimentation, Demir’s creative process unfolds through modelling, mould-making, casting, and meticulous hand-finishing. Defined by fluid silhouettes, textured surfaces, and an evolving dialogue between form and fabrication, her pieces invite new ways of experiencing reflection, materiality, and the spaces they inhabit.
Nifemi Marcus-Bello
Nifemi Marcus-Bello is a Nigerian designer whose work examines the social, economic, and cultural systems embedded within objects and their production. Based in Lagos, he approaches design as a form of inquiry, drawing from local manufacturing networks, material histories, and everyday urban realities to create furniture, installations, and objects that spark dialogue about value, labor, and identity. Moving fluidly between art and design, his practice reflects a deep engagement with context, resourcefulness, and the narratives that shape contemporary life. His work has been exhibited internationally and acquired by major institutions including MoMA, the Brooklyn Museum, LACMA, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Design Museum London.
Amarist Studio 5 Picks From Philia Collection
Amarist Studio is an art and collectible design practice led by Spanish artist Aran Lozano from the Pyrenees. Working at the intersection of art and design, the studio explores the relationship between landscape, material transformation, and the passage of time through sculptural works and collectible objects.
Drawing on materials such as alabaster, concrete, wood, and light, Amarist creates pieces inspired by geological processes, erosion, and the evolution of natural environments. Through craftsmanship, digital technologies, and material experimentation, the studio develops works that reflect on the fragility of ecosystems, the memory embedded in materials, and nature’s enduring capacity for transformation.
