From Beirut’s film sets to Milan’s design studios, Karen Chekerdjian has always followed her curiosity. She earned her Master’s in Industrial Design at Domus Academy, in 1997, where she created Mobil, her first piece for Edra under the mentorship of Massimo Morozzi. Rejecting following one single direction, Chekerdjian intersects art, design, and space, questioning how furniture can impact not only the course of our daily life but also the tracks that we leave behind. Exhibited in many different exhibitions such as Sfeir-Semler Gallery, Milan Furniture Fair, Design Miami and Paris’s Institut du Monde Arabe, she continuously reinvents her practice, dissecting each project to give a meaning through form and function. Some of her pieces are part of international design museums. Iqar is part of the Mudac Museum, Totem is part of the Musée des arts decoratifs and Rolling Stone is in the Copenhagen DesignMuseum Her studio in Beirut works on limited‐edition projects, custom commissions, and collections of furniture.
Karen Chekerdjian
Furniture and Product Designer | Beirut
Karen Chekerdjian. Image courtesy of the Designer
The Interview
What role do you think design plays in shaping communities and culture in the MENASA region?
I believe our role in shaping the life of people and influence the development of the societies is very important.
How do you stay inspired and continue to evolve your creative practice?
I keep reading books, visiting exhibitions and museums, I walk on the street and keep looking around to see what is the vernacular culture
What are the biggest challenges facing designers in the MENASA region today?
Our challenges are huge. We do not yet understand what is an industry. We should try to understand how to create the industries to give work to the designers community. Design cannot survive only on bespoke and crafts.
Works
Totem coffee table -Image courtesy of the designer.
Image courtesy of the designer.
Website
www.karenchekerdjian.com
Socials
@karenchekerdjianstudio