PHILIA MAGAZINE

Johan Destrumelle is a French designer and artist whose practice moves fluidly between art and design. Trained in product design, he developed his approach through studies and formative experiences with designer Céline Wright in Paris and the Icelandic studio And Anti Matter. These experiences nurtured his interest in experimentation, craftsmanship, and the expressive potential of objects.

Working independently, Destrumelle creates unique, handmade pieces that emphasize material exploration and artisanal know-how. Oscillating between functional design and sculptural expression, his work is driven by a commitment to quality over quantity, resulting in objects that celebrate individuality, process, and the value of making by hand.

Oskar Zięta is a Polish architect, process designer, and artist whose work explores the intersection of engineering, material innovation, and collectible design. Trained at ETH Zurich, he is the inventor of FiDU, a proprietary technology that uses internal air pressure to shape steel into lightweight yet structurally robust forms. Through this pioneering process, Zięta has redefined the possibilities of metal, creating works that blur the boundaries between industrial production, sculpture, and design.

Working from Wrocław, Zięta develops furniture, public installations, and sculptural objects that combine technological experimentation with an organic aesthetic. His iconic designs, including the PLOPP stool and ULTRALEGGERA chair, reflect a continuous exploration of the expressive potential of steel, earning international recognition and a place in the permanent collections of institutions such as the Centre Pompidou, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal

Leo Aerts is a Belgian interior architect and designer, and the founder of Alinea Design Objects, a studio dedicated to timeless furniture and collectible objects. Guided by architecture, craftsmanship, and material honesty, he creates refined designs that balance sculptural simplicity with everyday function. Working with natural materials and local artisans, Aerts develops enduring pieces that celebrate thoughtful making, sustainability, and understated elegance.

Piotr Dąbrowa is a Polish designer and the founder of Studio Dąbrowa, a practice dedicated to collectible furniture and lighting that explores the relationship between sculptural form, materiality, and spatial presence. Originally trained in graphic design, he transitioned to object design in 2011 before establishing his studio in 2020, where he develops limited-edition works through close collaboration with European artisans and manufacturers.

Working primarily with natural stone, metal, and glass, Dąbrowa creates refined objects distinguished by their architectural clarity and restrained material language. Guided by a meticulous approach to craftsmanship and proportion, his practice transforms timeless materials into sculptural compositions that balance functionality with a quiet, enduring elegance.

Square In Circle is a London-based design studio founded by designer Alesia Sirokina, whose practice explores the relationship between geometry, light, and architectural form. Established in 2019, the studio creates collectible lighting and sculptural objects distinguished by clean lines, balanced proportions, and a refined material language. Drawing on Sirokina’s background in interior architecture, each piece investigates how simple geometric forms can be transformed into expressive compositions that unite functionality with sculptural presence.

Working primarily with metal, marble, glass, and other carefully selected materials, Square In Circle combines meticulous craftsmanship with technical precision to produce lighting that functions as both illumination and architectural object. Inspired by modernist principles, geometric abstraction, and the theatrical experimentation of the Bauhaus, the studio creates timeless works that celebrate the dialogue between structure, proportion, and light while bringing a quiet sense of rhythm and elegance to contemporary interiors.

Missana is a Spanish furniture brand based in Valencia, celebrated for its contemporary upholstered furniture that combines Mediterranean warmth with refined craftsmanship. Co-founded by Pepe Albargues, the company has developed a distinctive design language rooted in the region’s light, optimism, and rich manufacturing heritage. Through collaborations with both established and emerging designers, Missana creates collections that balance expressive forms, comfort, and functionality with a timeless aesthetic.

Guided by a spirit of innovation and a commitment to quality, Missana works closely with local artisans to produce furniture distinguished by meticulous craftsmanship and thoughtful materiality. Under the creative direction of Pepe Albargues, the brand continues to explore new forms of expression while remaining faithful to its Mediterranean identity, creating pieces that bring personality, elegance, and enduring character to residential and hospitality interiors.

Gerard Kuijpers is a Belgian designer and self-taught artist whose work is defined by a profound exploration of material, gravity, and construction. For more than three decades, he has investigated the essential qualities of stone, steel, glass, and wood, creating sculptural furniture and functional objects that reveal the expressive potential of their interaction. Working from Mechelen, Kuijpers develops pieces distinguished by their striking balance between monumentality and lightness, transforming raw materials into works that appear both powerful and unexpectedly delicate.

Rooted in a fascination with material tension and structural ingenuity, his practice blurs the boundaries between sculpture and design. Through an intuitive process driven by experimentation, Kuijpers creates objects that challenge perceptions of weight, stability, and movement, often inviting a tactile relationship between the viewer and the work. His celebrated Dancing Stones series exemplifies this approach, combining technical precision with a poetic sense of wonder to reveal new possibilities within timeless materials.

Alex de Witte is a Dutch designer whose work explores the intersection of light, sculpture, and material experimentation. Based in the Netherlands, he is particularly known for his expressive blown-glass lighting pieces, which combine technical precision with a poetic and atmospheric sensibility.

Graduating from the Artemis Academy in Amsterdam in 2003, de Witte developed a practice rooted in perception, balance, and the emotional experience of form. His work often plays with scale, transparency, and the behavior of light, resulting in objects that blur the line between functional design and sculpture. Best known for works such as Big Bubble, his pieces have become recognizable for their organic presence and distinctive visual language.

Mydriaz is a Paris-based design studio founded in 2011 by artist duo Jennifer Midoz and Malo du Bouëtiez. Working at the intersection of art, design, and craftsmanship, the studio creates collectible furniture and lighting distinguished by a refined exploration of materiality, perception, and colour. Each piece is conceived and handcrafted in their workshop beneath the Viaduc des Arts, where experimentation and artisanal techniques shape objects that balance sculptural expression with functional design.

Through an ongoing investigation of reflective surfaces, light, and the narrative potential of materials, Mydriaz develops a distinctive body of work that is both contemporary and timeless. Their creations have attracted international collectors, interior designers, and luxury maisons, while collaborations with institutions such as the Mobilier National further affirm the studio’s contribution to contemporary French design.

Émilie Lemardeley is a French designer and sculptor whose work explores the relationship between light, material, and emotion. Working primarily with glass and metal, she creates collectible lighting, furniture, and sculptural objects distinguished by their organic forms, luminous presence, and refined craftsmanship. Inspired by Art Nouveau, decorative arts, and the natural world, her creations balance delicacy and strength while celebrating color, movement, and the poetry of everyday life.

After studies at the Institut d’Études Politiques, the École du Louvre in Paris, and the Sotheby’s Institute in London, Lemardeley founded her studio in 2012. Collaborating closely with French artisans, including glassblowers, bronze casters, and metalworkers, she develops works that embody the richness of French savoir-faire while maintaining a distinctly contemporary language.

Through collections such as Dryade, Dionysos, Eole, and Adamas, Émilie Lemardeley creates objects that blur the boundaries between design, sculpture, and ornament, transforming functional pieces into poetic expressions of light and materiality.