Philia
Magazine

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.

Hugo Toro is a French-Mexican architect and multidisciplinary creative whose practice spans architecture, interiors, design, and art. Originally from eastern France, he graduated with a Master’s degree in Interior Architecture from Penninghen in Paris before completing a second Master’s degree in Architecture between Vienna and Los Angeles. From his Paris-based studio, Toro has built an international portfolio including the atelier of Villa Albertine in New York, the Michelin-starred restaurant PUR’ on Place Vendôme, JP at Louis Vuitton in Seoul, and the Orient Express La Minerva in Rome. His work is distinguished by a strong attention to atmosphere, materials, and craftsmanship.

Alongside his architectural practice, Toro works across furniture, drawing, painting, and sculpture. He unveiled his first furniture collection at Christie’s in 2022 and presented Aguas que murmuran at the Institut Culturel du Mexique in Paris in 2025. In 2026, his first solo exhibition in the United States, Ojo de Agua, was presented at Perrotin in New York, bringing together paintings, bronze sculptures, ceramics, and installation. Today, his architectural and artistic practices continue to explore the relationships between space, material, memory, and emotion.

Didi Ng Wing Yin is a Hong Kong-born, Helsinki-based wood artist whose practice moves between sculpture, design and craft. Distinguished by his approach to carving, his work explores the intrinsic qualities of wood through a balance of material sensitivity, intuitive craftsmanship and conceptual inquiry. Central to his practice is the idea of “Naturalness,” allowing the individual characteristics of each piece of wood to guide the making process while preserving its original qualities and exploring new possibilities for carving.

Ng holds an MA in Interior Architecture from Aalto University in Finland. His work has received international recognition, including being named a finalist for the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2025, receiving the Rising Star of the Year Award at the Scandinavian Design Awards 2024, and winning Dezeen’s Emerging Designer of the Year Award 2024. His sculpture Pleats Vase No. 11 is part of the permanent collection of the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, Sweden.