Philia
Magazine

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.

Rogerio Shinagawa is a Brazilian architect and founder of Shinagawa Arquitetura, a São Paulo–based studio specializing in contemporary residential architecture and interiors. After graduating in Architecture and Urbanism from PUC Campinas and completing part of his academic training at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto, he established his own practice in 2015. His background, combined with an early exposure to architecture through his family home, shaped a design approach grounded in careful observation and sensitivity to the experience of living.

Each project is conceived as a response to its context and the people who inhabit it, balancing spatial clarity, natural light, and material expression to create environments that feel both timeless and deeply personal. Through a process that prioritizes dialogue over stylistic formulas, Shinagawa develops architecture distinguished by quiet sophistication, precision, and lasting functionality. His work has been featured in ArchDaily, Casa Vogue, and Casa e Jardim, and has received international recognition through the DNA Paris Design Awards, INT Interior Design Awards, LOOP Design Awards, and BLT Built Design Awards.

David Samuel Ko is an American designer and founder of Maison Ko, a Los Angeles–based interior design studio whose practice spans residential, commercial, and event design. Drawing on a multidisciplinary background in fashion, styling, photography, and interiors, he creates spaces that blur the boundaries between fashion and interior design, combining a sharp sense of style with an honest and approachable design philosophy.

After beginning his career in fashion public relations while apprenticing at an interior design firm, Ko founded Maison Ko to bring his multidisciplinary creative vision to life. Through the studio, he develops thoughtfully curated interiors that reflect each client’s personality and celebrates the belief that design is a deeply personal experience. His work has been featured in publications including Architectural Digest, Domino, and Clever.

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.