10 American Designers Inspiring Us With Their Artistry

The Artling brings you 10 American contemporary designers who demonstrate aesthetic, form, and function in a variety of ways. From design objects to furniture, these designers spread joy with their craft and showcase their talent through their carefully crafted works and creative artistry. Scroll down to learn more about these American designers who go beyond the familiar with their elegant, unconventional, and inspired designs.

Musing Selles

Musing Selles is a design duo by Spaish architect Álvaro Gómez-Sellés and Canadian architect Marisa Müsing established in 2018. Through their designs, the explore and re-interpret the interactions between form and utility, and move away from the expected functionality in everyday objects. 

"The Set no.5 series explores and re-interprets the relationship between form and utility, moving away from expected functionality in everyday furniture. We aim create new domestic environments where units are homogenized through physical and visual similarities. Together they build an autonomous setting independent from its context."

Ocrum

New York-based design studio Ocrum is creates designs that encompass a timeless yet contemporary aesthetic. They draw inspiration on both vivid memories and the wonder of time, merging classical sensibilities with bold innovation and Italian craftsmanship. Ocrum's Creative Director Sean Zhang is known for his intuitive design sensibility, sharp attention to detail, and minimalist lifestyle. 

"All of my pieces share a poetic story that calls to mind the vibrancy of life itself."

The "Dew & Drop Pendant Lamp in Blue" is a pendant lamp that Ocrum created by observing and studying the details of dew and water droplets; a piece that is highly reflective of their timeless aesthetic.

Liz Quan

Liz Quan has been an Art Director in the publishing industry for over 25 years. For the New York-based designer, clay allows her to feel completely untethered yet fully engaged with it's forgiving qualities of endless possibilities. Her intuition emerges as she discovers new forms; she unites separate pieces to create a cohesive individual form, which comes through in her "Ash Vase". The abstract expression and formal qualities of her designs work together to evoke a personal and unique connection with the engaged viewer. 

Phillip Jividen

Cincinnati-born designer Phillip Jividen focuses on creating timeless pieces that feel familiar yet unexpected using intuitive forms that are a balance between practicality and playfulness. Phillip's "Gradient Mirror" is a minimalist design inspired by the sky, integrating color into a mirrored surface. The surface creates a blue atmospheric effect that reflects the surrounding environment.

"My design process is defined through an exploration of material, composition, context, and history as a means of creating an object that instills a sense of permanence and quality."

Jason Mizrahi

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California Jason Mizrahi pursued his passion for design at the Pratt Institute in New York City. Blurring the line between furniture and sculpture, his works are defined by proportion yet unrestrained by convention. Jason embodies balance of art and architure with fluid forms. The "Symphony" chair exemplifies this balance with its plush velvet-covered seat and minimal metal frame.

"In constant search of the perfect balance, my work represents a fusion between solids and voids, lines and shapes, both minimal and expressive."

Hayden Richer 

Hayden Richer is specialises in ceramics and is currently based in Detroit, Michigan. She earned her BFA in Crafts with a focus in ceramics from the College for Creative Studies and her MFA in Ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Her works focus on the mundane and monotonous builds of weight and weathering. Her handmade "Soft Weather Table Lamp" is an elegant design that depicts a land-like cross-section removed from the erosion of sand and wind.

Matthew Solomon

Using a variety of clay bodies and glazes that he crafts himself, Matthew Solomon creates designs of beauty with an element of the unexpected. The New Yoker's repertoire ranges from delicate tabletop tulips to installations covering entire walls and ceilings; his vases and centrepieces marry function with aesthetic elegance. Basing his designs off of the actual botanic qualities of flowers, Solomon is able to translate the chaos and order of nature into his unique works. 

"Delphiniums swirl over the surface of a tower, obscuring the form beneath. Decaying leaves, sparkling with an iridescent glaze, encrust a pair of lidded vases. Repetition of form and color creates order within the chaotic floral camouflage."

Brian Chaaban

Inspired by silhouettes found in nature, California-based designer Brian Chaaban sought to create a line of unique bronzewares and premium home accessories. His works have been hand-crafted with a specific focus to capture the details seen in branches, trunks, and barks. The natural edges, grains, splits, and cracks are then interpreted and preserved using traditional bronze casting methods. Brian's "Poppy Vases" embody the amalgam of nature, sculpture, and design, blending form and function with the permanence of bronze.

Ayako Aratani

Ayako Aratani is a furniture designer based in Detroit, Michigan. Her creations embrace imperfection through the handcraft of artful objects, which express physical and visual comfort. She reimagines functional products as playful individuals with whimsical personalities that live their own lives side by side with us.

"I find value in irregularity and distortions. I engage with materials and fabrication processes that allow each piece to invoke a feeling of welcome, familiarity, and harmony in the home."

Beverly Morrison 

Beverly Morrison developed a relationship with the “art of making” from a very young age, inspired by her parents who are a dynamic combination of artistic skills and analytical thinking. Growing up in California, she was surrounded by a rich environment of creativity and resourcefulness, while cultivating a vigorous appreciation of working with one’s hands. Her "Mid-Century Modern Vessel" takes on a modernist approach and was inspired by the wings of black swallowtails.

"Line, form, and emotional texturing are always at the heart of my work. I love creating work that is minimal but speaks volumes."

 

We hope you've enjoyed learning more about these American designers with their varied artistic and creative processes, which showcase their diverse perspectives of design.

Here at The Artling, we have a variety of beautiful design pieces. To browse more of our curated design collection click here. If you need additional guidance or have specific requirements, you can have a look at our art consultancy services, or chat with our expert curators on any product page.