Simon Johns

Born: 1979

Hometown: East-Bolton

Based in: East-Bolton

Simon Johns is a fine arts–trained designer living and working in the secluded woods of East-Bolton in southern Quebec, Canada. Illustrating a conversation between the fabricated and the elemental, Simon creates one-off and limited-edition pieces of sculptural furniture and lighting. His work is a product of observing and living with the pure and raw shapes of his surroundings. The unaltered physical traits of primary materials are harnessed to evoke the emotions one feels in their presence. Using a variety of materials as vocabulary, he plays with their capabilities in mimicry, having them reference or reflect each other in precisely crafted poetic compositions. The outcome is work that is imbued with a sense of contemplation, as if we are to evaluate our connection to our own environment.

Simon Johns In The Studio

More About Simon Johns

Question Icon What inspires you?

I am interested in the seemingly random geometries found in nature, the fragile structures of sedimentary stone and the bewilderment felt before these things. I wonder how they can be translated into object to live with.

Question Icon Describe your creative process.

An interest in a shape or material structure hangs around in my head for a while, then I experiment with small physical models made of whatever I have on hand. Cardboard, foam, clay, etc. I will later sketch a model on paper, then prototype full size in the studio. Only after that do I make a digital version to fine-tune fabrication.

Question Icon Who are some artists that have influenced your work?

My uncle Don Goddard, a potter, and my peers in the design community today, endlessly inspired and resilient.

Question Icon What is the most important tool when creating your work?

A physical model.

Question Icon What is the best piece of advice you have been given?

To go to the end of an idea, and to be prolific. We learn so much from our own work.