Nicholas Bijan Pourfard is a Southern California-based designer whose work moves between furniture and collectible design, shaped by an early foundation in luthiery. After crafting over 400 bespoke guitars under his label Prisma Guitars, he transitioned toward furniture as a means to expand his exploration of form, material, and expression.

His practice is driven by a dialogue between structure and movement, where materials are not only shaped but activated, giving rise to objects that feel both dynamic and grounded. Through a process rooted in making, Pourfard develops a sculptural language that balances tension and fluidity, precision and intuition.

Blending traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary sensibility, his work reflects a deeply personal approach to design — one where each piece becomes an extension of identity, narrative, and transformation.

1. Where were you born and where are you from ?

I was born and raised in San Diego, CA.

2. What is your first memory connected to the art world ?

3. Have you always worked in the art/design field ?

4. What led you to the design creation ?

I started designing out of a sense of absence, feeling like there weren’t enough objects around me that evoked emotion or had personality.

5. How would you describe your creative process and it influences ?

My creative process begins with material investigation, where construction methods and material or tooling constraints actively shape the resulting design.

6. Could you describe a typical day of your work ?

My day usually begins in the garden, walking, tending, and observing. Being outside and caring for something that owes me nothing and is always changing gives me an unexplainable sense of joy and purpose. It’s the most grounding way I know to reset my mind before facing the challenges of work and design.

7. Why did you choose the specific materials you work with ?

I typically choose materials based on form, recognizing that some lend themselves naturally to organic shapes while others feel more appropriate when controlled or constrained.

8. What are the technical particularities of your creations ?

The technical properties of my work vary from series to series. One recurring constant, however, is an element of articulation or movement. Whether that movement serves functionality or simply aids installation depends on the context of the piece.

9. What advices could you give to beginning artists who would like to create sculptural design works ?

My advice to anyone interested in designing these types of pieces—and something I have to remind myself of at times—is to think as little as possible. Some of my favorite works emerged almost as impromptu exercises, and I’ve come to value the clarity that comes from making quick, intuitive decisions throughout the process.

10. If your works had to belong to a design movement, in which one would you define it ?

I would say my metal and woodwork are informed by a kind of constructivist minimalism, while ceramics, glass, and casting allow me to step away from that language and focus on a more human sensibility associated with California Craft.

11. What designers and artists have influenced you ?

Enzo Mari, Gas Aluenti, Gerrit Rietveld, Eva Hesse, Donald Judd, JB Blunk.

12. What contemporary designers do you appreciate ?

Minjae Kim, Emily Thurman, Sheyang Li, Yuki Gray.

13. What contemporary artists (in any kind of art) have you been inspired by ?

Claire Hu, Tyler Christopher Brown, Serban Ionescu.

14. If you had to summarize your creations in one word or sentence, what would it be ?

Experimental functionality.

15. Is there anything you would like to add ? 

I’ve been feeling increasingly connected to my culture lately, and I can sense it having a strong impact on the work I want to create in the year ahead. I’m excited to share more soon.

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE
(The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust.
Other historical figures who have answered confession albums are Oscar Wilde,
Karl Marx, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Cézanne…)

11. Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

“Like”.

12. Which talent would you most like to have?

A voice to sing.

13. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Being more open to experiences.

14. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My Garden.

15. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

A tree.

16. Where would you most like to live?

Italy.

17. What is your most treasured possession?

The fruit I grow.

18. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Complacency.

19. What is your favorite occupation?

Playing Guitar.

20. What is your most marked characteristic?

My hands.

21. What do you most value in your friends?

Open-mindedness.

22. Who are your favorite writers?

Rumi.

23. Who is your hero of fiction?

Little foot – Land before time.

24. Which historical figure do you most identify with?

–

25. Who are your heroes in real life?

Mom and Dad.

26. What are your favorite names?

Marjan, Sasan.

27. What is it that you most dislike?

Oysters.

28. What is your greatest regret?

Not asking enough questions.

29. How would you like to die?

Unsure, but plant a huge tree on me.

30. What is your motto?

If you can’t reach a fruit its for the birds.