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Marathon Boy Bookends by Sophia Enjoy Thinking |
Home > Winners > Design #45017 >Interview |
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FS: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
SS: The main principle of the winning design, Marathon Boy Bookends, was to integrate the ancient Greek cultural heritage in an everyday life object. We believe that ideas and values, such as strength, effort and victory hidden behind the story of important personalities of the ancient world are worth spreading in any possible creative way.
FS: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
SS: The main focus was to create a design, which will not just be practical, unique and aesthetically excellent, but also serve as the most appropriate invitation to everyone to "Enjoy Thinking", which is SOPHIA's motto. We believe that through thinking men can change themselves and thus the world around them.
FS: What are your future plans for this award winning design?
SS: New colours will be added to the Marathon Boy Bookends collection to embrace different styles, moods and tastes. The bookend collection has been enriched with new designs, such as the Venus de Milo Bookend, the Owl and many more, following the same principal of the winning design.
FS: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?
SS: The conception of the idea, the design and the production period lasted approximately three months. However, the assessment of the design continues today. For SOPHIA creativity and inspiration is an insatiable force.
FS: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?
SS: The winning design belongs to SOPHIA's ever growing collection Eternity Today. Eternity Today collection narrates stories of the past today, through modern design. SOPHIA was born almost 3 years ago. The team felt the need to promote the constant, unique and true ideas of ancient Greek history. Embracing the concept of Nostalgia, which has turned to be a strong deco tendency nowadays, we created hand finished home accessories that combine eternity with modernity, art with design and the timeless myths of antiquity with the spirit of the 21st century.
FS: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?
SS: The winning design, Marathon Boy Bookends, as well as the majority of SOPHIA's designs, are in house handmade in Greece and sold in various concept stores and museum shops across the world, such as the British Museum, the Getty Museum and the Louvre.
FS: What made you design this particular type of work?
SS: We wanted to tell the ancient story of the Young Marathon Runner, who symbolizes persistence, strength and success to everyone. SOPHIA aimed to make historical and philosophical ideas and values accessible to everyone by entering their personal space, and more specifically their bookshelves, which one can say that is the heart of a home.
FS: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?
SS: The Marathon Boy or Ephebe of Marathon Greek bronze sculpture found around 340-330 BC, which is conserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
FS: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?
SS: The fact that it was an attempt to revive the cultural design through upgrading the notion of souvenir to cultural gift for museum and art shops.
FS: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?
SS: The name Marathon Boy, refers to the young Marathon Runner that the bookends portray.
FS: What is the most unique aspect of your design?
SS: It is handmade in Greece, made out of ceramine, a unique material, imitating the properties of materials used in Ancient Greece. It is a mix of earthenware.
FS: What is the role of technology in this particular design?
SS: It is handmade and made out of ceramine, an ecological material, and friendly towards both humans and the environment. However, the technology of the materials did not play such a crucial role, as the superb craftsmanship.
FS: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?
SS: Historical and cultural research has been made to realize this design project. Secondary research was conducted during the conceptual stage of the project. The design in based on a Greek bronze sculpture of the Marathon Boy, found in the Aegean Sea almost 100 years ago. The sculpture dates back to around 340 BC. Experiments were made during the design stage in regards with the dimensions and functionality of the design. Different colors were also applied in order to decide which palette is the most successful.
FS: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?
SS: The challenge was to evoke the historical heritage of Ancient Greece today through design, as well as to successfully integrate the historical perspective of our initial research with the aesthetics and the functionality during the design process.
FS: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?
SS: The appreciation of not only the design and home decoration world, but also of the public internationally. The Marathon Boy bookends have been hosted several times in French Elle Decoration.
FS: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?
SS: We have learnt how to combine different skills and types of expertise, such as craftsmanship, theoretical knowledge, creativity, ergonomics and aesthetics for the creation of one single piece.
FS: Thank you for providing us with this opportunity to interview you.
A' Design Award and Competitions grants rights to press members and bloggers to use parts of this interview. This interview is provided as it is; DesignPRWire and A' Design Award and Competitions cannot be held responsible for the answers given by participating designers.
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