Dezeen promotion: Sebastian Herkner has been named as the designer of the year for the January edition of Maison&Objet 2019, and will get to present his selection of work in a self-designed exhibition space at the fair.
The German designer, who has has been commended by organisers for "straddling the boundary between modernity and tradition", will take the title at the upcoming design fair, which will take place in Paris, France, between the 18 and 22 of January.
As designer of the year, Sebastian Herkner will to present his own work in a self-designed space at the fair
"Sebastian Herkner has unremittingly focused on creating designs that fuse tradition with creativity, new technology with craftsmanship," explained the organisers of Maison & Objet. "His approach to design is both ethical and committed, imbuing the creative process with the same degree of importance as the actual end product itself."
The designer's Bell table has a hand-blown base
Herkner studied at the Offenbach University of Art and Design, where he first developed an affinity for creating furnishings that play with colour and texture. This was encouraged by an internship at high-end fashion label Stella McCartney, where he learnt more about how different shades and materials can be combined.
"Colour is often the very last thing designers think about. For me, it's always the starting point for the whole design process," explained Herkner.
Herkner's Oda lamp...