Einat Kayless Argaman founded DesignBreak in 2009 and since then has gained a large community of daily readers celebrating the design scene in Israel and beyond.
Can you imagine a couple in real life who spends their day in the
kitchen, talking and planning their next big dessert? Well this is how
it feels like when you steps into Gilli Kuchik and Ran Amitai’s studio.
From
folding to sawing to pixel coloring, no object of Bakery (yes, that’s
what they call themselves) is like any other. However there is something
quite similar in the way they always interpret their initial two
dimensional concept and transform it into a never before seen, three
dimensional piece.
There is no doubt that these two are a
diverse power to be reckoned with. As they just launched NOM (Nature of
Material), their debut furniture collaboration with the Italian
Cappellini empire, I’m pretty sure that Gilli and Ran have quite a few
magical surprises up their sleeves.
Can you tell me a little bit about your backgrounds?
We
were both born and grew up in Jerusalem. We each journeyed in the
creative world before we reached the specific field of industrial
design. Ran grew up in a very creative environment, his great
grandmother was the head of the Ceramic Department at the Bezalel
Academy of Arts and Design and supported him to follow his creative
interests and at the age of 23 he studied photography at the Musrara
School for photography in Jerusalem. Gilli studied theater in high
school and focused on stage and costume design. After high school she
studied painting in the master class of The Jerusalem Studio School. We
both eventually reached the department of Industrial Design at Bezalel,
we met and became a couple in life and design.
What’s it like working with your life partner? How does it work and who does what?
For
us it's very natural and fun. Design for us is not only our profession
but also our passion in life, so it's wonderful to share that with your
partner.
When did you first decide that you wanted to become designers?
It
was never a clear decision. We both explored our creative sides until
we reached the design field and more specifically industrial design.
We
think we both always felt that our place in the world is in a creative
field. We both started out with two dimensional art such as photography
and painting and from there we found out that our true passion is for
three dimensional objects. From there we both reached industrial design
without knowing exactly what it means. It was only during our studies at
Bezalel we both fell in love with this discipline, partially because
it's a very unique profession which combines a very creative artistic
process on the one hand, and a very analytical technical understanding
on the other; a combination we both love.
Where
do you live, what do you like about it and how does it affect your
creations? Give us a glimpse into a normal day in your life.
We
live in Tel Aviv. We are not actively influenced by our surrounding
although we are sure it has some subconscious effect on us.
Our
day to day changes according to what we're currently working on and the
stage we are in of the design process, but we navigate between the
workshop, sketchbook, office work, internet, and meetings.
What are you most proud of professionally? And what has been your favorite project so far?
We
are very excited about our cooperation with Cappellini, which presented
during the recent Milan Design Week our NOM series. It's truly an honor
to be part of their amazing collection, which includes so many design
classics that have influenced us as designers.
What do you do to stay inspired and motivated to create?
We
try to be inspired by everything around us. The motivation to create
comes from within and is what led us to this profession but it's fueled
by the desire to keep challenging ourselves to be the best designers we
can be.
What are some other passions you have besides art and design?
Food.
What challenges have you overcome as designers?
It's
defiantly a challenge to pursue furniture design as Israeli-based
designers. The furniture design world is based in Europe and it can be
difficult to overcome the distance. Despite that, where there is a will
there is a way and we think that the fact that we have to work harder in
order to find a way to work with companies abroad also fuels our
motivations. We also hope that with time we will design furniture for
Israeli clients.
Could you share with us your progression as a designer, compared to when you first started out, how have you changed since then?
In
general we feel that our understanding of design evolves and matures
constantly and we hope that this growing process will continue with
time.
But more specifically, compared to when we started, we
think that today we are more realistic with our designs' compatibility
to the limitations of the production world. This understanding guides us
in our design process to reach innovative products that embrace and use
the industrial constraints to their advantage.
Do you ever hit a creative block – if so, how do you get out of it?
The
design process can be difficult and frustrating at times, but you just
have to except that these moments are an integral part of the creative
process and keep moving forward.
What advice do you have for young designers who want to follow your path?
Believe in yourself and keep pushing forward.
What was one of your biggest lessons learned since starting out?
Being busy is no excuse to eat pizza every day.
What has contributed the most towards what you have achieved?
Hard work.
Describe one thing or person that has influenced your designs the most.
There are so many designers and teachers that influenced us that it is hard to pick one.
Read Einat’s blog and follow her designed journey www.designbreakonline.com