Designer-pirate and hooligan from art recently visited Russia
Passing the gallery
Material prepared: Marina Volkova
Magazine: N10 (121) 2007
Virtual pirate, bully from art, designer hacker Ора Итоwho burst into the world of design mainstream in the late 90s, recently came to Russia. This time in order to act as a DJ at a design party, but that's another story ...
He is a small man, an agile young man, he constantly gesticulates, laughs a lot, speaks even more. He moves from place to place in a fraction of a second, and if at first it is difficult to keep track of him, then you soon get used to it and join in this intense rhythm. And then it starts to seem that peace and quiet is a myth, a children's fairy tale.
Его карьера началась с повестки в суд и последовавшей за ней персональной выставки в Лувре. В 21 год он придумал вещи для знаменитых брендов - LOUIS VUITTON, MACINTOSH, BIC, NIKE и др., только вещи эти были виртуальными, он размещал их в Интернете на своем сайте. Правда, без ведома самих компаний. Items fromличались необычным, даже странным, но, безусловно, привлекательным дизайном. Их сразу заметили, и на компании посыпались заказы. А там никто не в курсе… В общем, дело могло дойти до суда. Но история неожиданно приобрела совершенно иной поворот: хулиганская идея привлекла внимание руководства одного из крупнейших музеев of the world - Louvre proposed Ора Ито make a solo exhibition. The lawsuits were withdrawn, and the world's largest brands invited the designer to work. It would seem that the ultimate dream, but no - Ора Ито refuses with the words: "I am more than just a designer!" And creates its design office.
He is in all. He studied, did not finish his studies (Ecole de création et de design) - he wanted so much to begin to put his ideas into practice, and not to study others. He makes beer bottles (for HEINEKEN, and in 2002 received the award "Best Packaging Design"), bottles for sports brand perfumes (ADIDAS), car showrooms (TOYOTA) and dreams of ship design. To date Ора Ито Seen in collaboration with SWATCH, RENAULT, CAPPELLINI, TOYOTA, CHRISTOFLE, L’OREAL, LEVI’S, SAGEM, NIKE, GUERLAIN, DAVIDOFF, DANONE, MORE, ZANOTTA, B & B ITALIA, ARTEMIDE...
This year, the designer himself presented in Milan his work for a furniture brand. FRIGHETTO. The most interesting thing is definitely the Ayrton bed. "Everything in this collection evokes taste associations. This bed, for example, resembles fruit - tells Ora Ito. - She seems to have a hard shell-peel - and the inner filling - the flesh. The coating is light, the middle part is red, as if the inside of the fetus ". But the Dune sofa is very similar to a puff pie because of the black dividing line running through the center.
All your items Ора Ито designs in the form of 3D layouts. "It is important for me to see how the shadows fall. The light and shadow modeling of the object should be clear at the very early design stage, because the light is a powerful weapon with which you can transform any object. Here, for example, this bed. Due to the fact that the top shelf the bedside table is slightly shorter than the bottom; a shadow is created that stretches along the entire length of the bed, and this gives an additional color accent - a dark stripe between light and bright surfaces, ”says the designer.
Items from Ора Ито they are extremely aerodynamic in shape and ergonomic in content. For example, Ayrton bedside tables are placed in a block with a bed, do not have doors, the upper part of the shelf is shorter than the lower one, so that you can get everything you need without getting out of bed. Due to the almost imperceptible thin legs, the design seems light and as if floating in the air.
In 2006 year Ора Ито was named the best designer of the year. And believe me, apparently, this is far from the top of a career. It seems that all the fun is just beginning.