Cristian Branea, originally from Transylvania, is living and working in Bucharest, Romania. With a background in contemporary philosophy, cultural studies, and a PhD in political ecology, Cristian is a self-taught designer. In 2014 he founded MATERIA, a furniture brand, design studio and furniture manufacturing company. Just a couple of years later, Materia was represented internationally in various high-end retailers in Europe, North America and Middle East. In 2017, Materia was recognized as the best design furniture brand by Forbes Magazine Romania.