Globally-Renowned Furniture Designer, Vito Selma, Gives Insights On Furniture Design
It’s time to get creative with new materials and processes!
Most areas in the country have already been placed under general community quarantine (GCQ), but it’s still important to stay at home and limit our outside activities to keep ourselves safe from coronavirus.
Doing so doesn’t mean it has to be boring, though. After all, there are many ways we can discover our potential, get a new hobby, and boost our creativity. Speaking of such, how does exploring material innovation sound? Below, we share with you some tips we learned from globally-renowned furniture designer Vito Selma in his recently-concluded virtual talk for De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB)’s Guild of Rising Interior Designers (GRID).
1. You don’t have to follow design rules strictly
“You should inject a bit of fun and color into your work,” Selma—who is known for his unique take on geometrical designs—said.
You don't have to follow rules strictly
You don't have to follow rules strictly
You don't have to follow rules strictly
Vito Selma's furniture designs are a manifestation of the fun he has while in the process of developing his designs. Their undulations and geometric shapes show a prolific energy that's not just set on following norms. Rather, there is an obvious element of play in his designs that always draw references to his local surroundings through their materials.
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
You don't have to follow rules strictly
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
You don't have to follow rules strictly
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
You don't have to follow rules strictly
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
You don't have to follow rules strictly
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
You don't have to follow rules strictly
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
You don't have to follow rules strictly
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
You don't have to follow rules strictly
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
2. Inspiration is everywhere.
“It’s everywhere around you, that’s why I think it’s important you are in the right environment, that you are in a place that inspires you because a designer gets creative block,” he shared. How does he deal with such? He enjoys taking a fifteen-minute walk outside and seeing the beauty of nature.
Inspiration is everywhere
Inspiration is everywhere
Inspiration is Everywhere
Followers of this designer (@vitoselma) know how he delights in both local and international travel. A seeker of inspiration, his feed is evidence that he is successful in finding it, wherever his eyes choose to see it.
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
Inspiration is Everywhere
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
Inspiration is Everywhere
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
Inspiration is Everywhere
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
3. Choose a material and commit to it.
Creating material is all about experimenting with various processes. “Even though if we say wood, everything’s been done with wood. There’s carving but there are new ways of carving. You can even carve wood using chemicals and those chemicals give it a new texture,” he explained. This is what it’s like in his studio as he enjoys pushing limits of it all. “Just don’t give up. The best thing with design and making new material is that it’s a fun process.”
Choose a material and stick with it
Choose a material and stick with it
Choose a material and stick with it
His final products are a testimony to the adventures Vito Selma takes in his design studio. Materials are challenged to take the shape of his designs, as he delves into a practice that is akin to having a conversation with his materials. The results are internationally favored furniture pieces and home accessories that are constant trade fair favorites.
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
4. Stay curious.
In the creative industry, it’s essential to consider learning as a lifelong process. “Until now, I spend time on YouTube, there are so many videos out there, so many blogs talking about new material and developments,” he said.
Stay curious
Stay curious
Stay Curious
In one of his Instagram entries, Vito Selma relates, "We sometimes just look at an object and see it as just that-an object. We don’t know the story and the hardwork that is poured into making them. On a recent trip to Northern Mindanao, we stumbled upon a farm that was focused on the manufacturing of just one product-coco nets. I was amazed to see the sheer volume of these nets, but I was even more surprised when I found out that it took only 8 people to create mountains of this material. From something as simple as coconut husks, they’ve managed to create something so beautiful. And although it seems delicate, this material is so strong that these nets are used for slope protection to lessen soil erosion and landsides. Upon seeing these coco nets for the very first time and meeting the people who made them, I instantly knew I had to incorporate this with my booth at the recently concluded Manila FAME. Aside from showcasing the material, I also wanted to share the process of these nets." The result of this was the covering for his Manila FAME exhibit last year which looked like a faint veil between the booth and the crowd, a delicate transition into his display.
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
Stay Curious
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
Stay Curious
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
Stay Curious
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
Stay Curious
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
Stay Curious
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
Stay Curious
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
5. Be confident in the work that you do.
“How are you going to convince people that your table is nice if you don’t believe it’s nice,” he continued. “Believe in your passion, believe in your hard work, and that will show.”
Be confident. Believe in your passion.
Be confident. Believe in your passion.
Be confident. Believe in your passion.
Hugo Chair by Vito Selma. "It may not look like a perfect chair, but it may be the perfect place for you. After all, the best place in this world is a hug," Vito Selma says, describing this piece. Such belief and confidence in a concept has allowed him to birth the Hugo Chair and many other designs that have won critical acclaim.
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
Be confident. Believe in your passion.
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
Be confident. Believe in your passion.
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
Be confident. Believe in your passion.
Photo Credit: @vitoselma
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