Zoë Ryan – författare

The hip, functional, and versatile furniture and products of Konstantin Grcic—widely recognized as one of the most important designers working today—are transforming the landscape of contemporary design. This book accompanies the first exhibition in North America of Grcic’s work, highlighting the innovative archetypes of form and concept that have marked his remarkable output since 2004. Grcic delights in creating fresh takes on familiar industrial objects, whether desks, chairs, benches, stools, a range of kitchen equipment, lamps, a set of salad servers, or Krups coffee makers. In his recent work, he has blended his characteristic simplicity and distinctiveness with the use of new technologies and materials—for example, a cantilevered stacking chair, Myto (2008), is made from a strong, fluid plastic typically used by the automotive industry.Distributed for the Art Institute of ChicagoExhibition Schedule:The Art Institute of Chicago (10/17/09 – 1/10/10)

The newest volume in the Art Institute of Chicago's successful A+D series, Fashioning the Object invites readers to visit three of the most visionary design studios at work today: Bless, Boudicca, and Sandra Backlund. Fiercely independent and far-reaching in their influences, these young designers from Berlin, London, Paris, and Stockholm are producing fashion objects that straddle the line between traditional craft and cutting-edge technique, both in their use of materials and in the promotion of their brands.Zoë Ryan establishes the context for understanding the exciting departures these design houses represent, as the young creators draw inspiration from an array of other disciplines, including architecture, performance, film, and fine art. From Bless's numbered editions, to Boudicca's graffiti-can perfume, to Backlund's ready-to-wear pieces of knitted copper, these designers adapt storied objects to new uses and break old conventions, promulgating their ideas in playful, groundbreaking ways.Distributed for the Art Institute of ChicagoExhibition Schedule:The Art Institute of Chicago04/14/12-09/13/12

The first in-depth analysis of the stunning designs of one of the world’s most captivating and prominent architectsBorn in Tanzania, David Adjaye (b. 1966) is rapidly emerging as a major international figure in architecture and design—and this stunning catalogue serves only to cement his role as one of the most important architects of our time. His expanding portfolio of important civic architecture, public buildings, and urban planning commissions spans Europe, the United States, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. He transforms complex ideas and concepts into approachable and innovative structures that respond to the geographical, ecological, technological, engineering, economic, and cultural systems that shape the practice of global architecture. The publication of this compendium of work and essays coincides with the scheduled opening of Adjaye’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Adjaye’s completed work in the United States includes the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, a pair of public libraries in D.C., and several private residences. He is also known for his collaborations with artists, most recently with the British painter Chris Ofili (b. 1968).  Following an introduction by Zoë Ryan, Adjaye writes on his current and future work, with subsequent essays by an extraordinary cadre of architectural scholars on Adjaye’s master plans and urban planning, transnational architecture, monuments and memorials, and, finally, the forthcoming museum in D.C. Portfolios of Adjaye’s work thread throughout this comprehensive volume.Distributed for the Art Institute of Chicago and Haus der KunstExhibition Schedule:Haus der Kunst, Munich(01/30/15–06/28/15)The Art Institute of Chicago(09/19/15–01/03/16)

An innovatively designed monograph on the work of Matali Crasset, one of France’s leading product designers. A darling of French industrial design, Matali Crasset has earned critical praise internationally with her unique spaces and products. Ranging from simple, ergonomic kitchen utensils to architecture, her work engages its end users by asking questions on the role design plays in their everyday lives. Crasset was awarded International Interior Designer of the Year at the British Interior Design Awards in 2004, received the Grand Prize for Design from the city of Paris in 1997, and was a previous recipient of the Premier Prix de Concours Louis Vuitton. Her work includes products and interventions for Philippe Starck (whom she worked with for five years), Established and Sons, Hermès, Swarovski, Authentics, Domeau & Pérès, Alessi, Meta/Mallet, Artemide, and others. She has also engaged in architecture in the round, including hotels in Nice and Tunisia. Raised in a small village in the north of France, where work and life were intimately bound, the designer’s formative experiences clearly inform her view on contemporary design. The uncluttered rhythms of life in the country are reflected in the simple—but often colorful—forms that have earned Crasset a name for herself in the realms of product design, interiors, architecture, and art installations. Lavishly depicted with more than three hundred sketches, concept renderings, and photographs in a unique and brightly hued book format, the projects are organized thematically, with a special emphasis on materials and process.