The Dwell 24: Clara Jorisch

On her website, Clara Jorisch describes herself as a "self-taught designer and crafts(wo)man from Montreal" whose work takes "a sculptural approach to everyday objects." The following line further clarifies her ethos: "All the pieces she makes streams from useless ideas, and integrates deliberate imperfections."

This lack of rigidity, or deliberate making of space for unintentional (and often pleasantly surprising) outcomes, is part of Jorisch’s larger story: Though her background is in graphic design, she framed her final project at the University of Quebec in Montreal around a catalog for her first furniture collection, which included a limited series of hand-cut mirrors with "broken lines" designed to play with visual perception.

She found her rhythm in the school’s workshop and eventually launched her eponymous studio. Her designs in the years since have been similarly off-kilter: Her Pouf collection includes amorphous, sofa-like forms wrapped in rope so the plush bits look bulging, and though her Melting Glass tables might make sense in a home decorated with trendy squiggly pieces, the one-of-a-kind, handblown and hand-cut glass designs actually feel fresh, even unfamiliar.

For Jorisch, who describes her creations on her website as "admittedly irrational and open to interpretation," that seems to be the point. "I want [my work] to be sophisticated, but it often comes from a very simple and spontaneous place."

Read the full Q&A with Clara Jorisch below.

Hometown: Montreal.

Describe what you make in 140 characters... I make glass furniture and installation. I'm a self-taught craft(wo)man and designer who approach objects as if they were sculpture.

What’s the last thing you designed? A glass chair.

Do you have a daily creative ritual? Not really. I would love to, but I’m a bit all over the place, and it’s hard for me to stick to a plan. I do try to respond to all the emails quickly in the morning and focus on my creative stuff after that. I would say my creativity often peaks at the end of the day when I’m about to leave the studio, but I decide to stay longer and try something new. At that point, nothing disrupts my mood, and I am just free to play with new ideas.

How do you procrastinate? I reorganize, reset, and restage my studio. Always and all the time. When there is too much to do or things don’t go as planned or I feel overwhelmed, I will clean the floor, move tables or check how my plants and cactus are doing. I’ll trim them, replant them or water them… It’s very therapeutic, helps me process the things I’m working on, and I feel more focused afterward.

What everyday object would you like to redesign? Why? A gigantic sofa... I think all the sofas are too small. And it’s something I’ve been wanting to do for my own place, but I haven’t done it yet. Also a bookshelf, I’d like to do all-glass bookshelves…

Who are your heroes (in design, in life, in both)? I am a big fan of Shiro Kuramata. The way he photographs his object is so cinematographic and dramatic, like how he plays with the skeleton of a chair sometimes or the shadows of a table. He had a nice way of showing how light interacted with his design and the materials. I’ve heard he was a big fan of Lanz Kubricks and it shows. All the documentation of his work is smart and playful.

What skill would you most like to learn? I would love to know how to cast glass, in French, it is called ‘pâte de verre’. I love craft techniques and glass…

What is your most treasured possession? I actually don’t have much furniture or possessions. I like to keep it simple at home. But I do have some artworks from artists friends and designers. I don’t own much functional design. I’d rather collect things like art and rare plants. But to answer your question, I have this very nice cartoonish vase from Trevor Baird who’s a ceramist from Montreal. That’d be my most special piece at the moment.

What’s your earliest memory of an encounter with design? My dad was doing all the wood furniture in our house when I was little. He was always building something. I would often sneak into his workshop with my own little project, but he would always kick me out. Sometimes I would enter just to see what he was doing and give advice on his design, but he’d say "You do you-I do me". I guess that saying made its way into my head and that’s probably why I don’t work with wood. That was his department…

What contemporary design trend do you despise? Wood imitation makes me so sad.

Finish this statement: All design should... be elating and fun.I think it’s very boring when people say ‘I want this design because it’s neutral so I might like it longer’. We should all just be authentic and try to add a bit of personality in our place… People change, and tastes can change too, but we should be spontaneous when we pick pieces of furniture and objects for our homes.

What’s in your dream house? A full room sofa, I think it’s a childhood dream that never went away. I like bold moves and fun interventions in houses.

How can the design world be more inclusive? We should learn to value diversity, not just in people but in aesthetics. Design should not be a problem that can be resolved or optimized. We should look at things horizontally and think of them in terms of difference. That way, more vision, coming from more diverse backgrounds, can benefit design by making it more heterogeneous and expanding its horizon. I feel it’s the best way to start including more people in conversation about what design is and what it can be.

What do you wish non-designers understood about the design industry? I wish people recognize and respect creative thinking more. For instance, buying a copy or a reproduction of the work of a living designer, it’s so counterproductive. People should realize that the work of a designer is not just to make a material form, it’s also about crafting the whole process around making and selling that object. (about making new and better production chain).

You can learn more about Clara Jorisch on Instagram.

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