SEBASTIAN HERKNER

It took the German designer Sebastian Herkner only a few years to convince the whole design scene of his talent with his unusual material mixes and timeless shapes, always managing to communicate an impression of sensibility. Today, he is contributing to the collections of the most important design houses worldwide and has won numerous awards for his design.

Sebastian Herkner was born in 1981 in Bad Mergentheim and moved to Offenbach am Main to study Product Design at Offenbach University of Art and Design. While already focusing on designing objects and furniture by merging various cultural contexts, Herkner combined new technologies with traditional craftmanship. This was in order to highlight the multifaceted beauty of the materials and draw renewed attention to small details.

During his studies, Herkner did an internship with Stella McCartney in London and developed a particular liking for materials, colours, structures, textures and how they are connected to each other. Since founding his own design studio in Offenbach am Main in 2006, he has designed products for manufacturers such as Moroso, ClassiCon, Rosentahl, Very Wood and Pulpo, as well as working on interior design projects and for exhibitions and museums.

When designing everyday objects, Sebastian Herkner is influenced by his observations of people and their actions. In this context it is important to look beyond your own disciplines in order to achieve a value-added for the user. Herkner is not so much influenced by trends or current consumer criteria, because what interests him is a collage of simple techniques and traditional materials coupled with a simple mechanical principle and an unambiguous function. His idea of sustainability consists of employing traditional manufacturing techniques and their unique character. He then combines and interprets this by employing new technologies and finishing methods.