Jerszy Seymour
Who is he? Jerszy Seymour is a German designer of furniture, domestic products and art. His designs are sometimes cutting-edge but he often incorporates humorous touches into ordinary items. His work is often described as funky.
Does he have his own brand of products? No, he designs furniture, accessories and interiors for corporations such as Magis, IDEE Japan, Sputnik, BRF, Covo, Rosenthal, Swatch and Smeg - an impressive CV at the age of 36.
Is he a design icon? He has earned cult status through his quirky products, such as his futuristic Pipe Dreams watering cans (far right), Scum Light (right) and Free Wheelin' Franklin, a remote-controlled, plastic-top side table. The table is mounted on aluminium struts over a miniature four-wheel-drive vehicle that can reach a maximum speed of 27 kilometres an hour.
Seymour's work has been on show at the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Design Museum in London as well as at exhibitions in Milan, New York, Tokyo and Berlin. He also warranted an entry in the book Designing The 21st Century by Charlotte and Peter Fiell, which profiles the work of 100 emerging designers and design groups.
What is his best-known piece of furniture? Probably his Muff Daddy multi-position armchair/cushion (left). Produced by Covo in 2002, its oversized floppy armrests can be used as multi-positional head, arm and leg rests.
Sounds wacky ... Wackier by far is Seymour's House in a Box - a kit house, erected by spraying liquid polyurethane onto an inflatable mould. The mould is removed after the polyurethane sets, leaving the structure. The box kit includes the mould, doors, windows, instructions and a telephone number for British polyurethane sprayers. It takes about eight hours to assemble. 'It allows you to go where the hell you want and set up your house,' Seymour said after its launch in 2002.
'You can re-use the mould and make a community.'
Is his work influenced by other contemporary designers? Before opening his own studio in 1999 Seymour travelled and lived around the world, collaborating with architect and designer Stefano Giovannoni in Milan and Smart Design in New York. Giovannoni's comical bright plastic forms (he is best known for his cartoon-like Alessi home accessories) were a major influence. Jasper Morrison, says Seymour, is also one of his top design mentors.
