Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 48
Occupation: Designer.
Instagram: @ceciliemanz
Hometown: Copenhagen.
Studio location: Copenhagen.
Describe what you make: Design furniture, tableware, bathroom porcelain, electronics, lamps, and more.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: Perhaps my career. In a way, it’s designed through all these choices and hard work over the years. It’s like a basket full of projects.
Describe the problem your work solves: I thrive to make small improvements on the things I design. Details that you will notice in your everyday life, details that will be useful. But to be honest, I wish I could do more in terms of changing how this business runs. It’s small steps. We need to collaborate with the industry and also have people’s support in what they’re buying and why.
Describe the project you are working on now: Tableware, furniture, lighting—everything.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: A small plinth I did with TAKT. It’s a fully collapsible piece in a quite perfect combination of craftsmanship and quality.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Passion and a roll of Finnish drawing paper.
What you do when you’re not working: Family, countryside, and working without knowing.
Sources of creative envy: Envy is not the way forward, but respect is. Agnes Martin, Donald Judd, Rachel Whiteread, Kaj Franch, Jasper Morrison…
The distraction you want to eliminate: Dark chocolate.
Concrete or marble? Depends on the circumstances.
High-rise or townhouse? Depends on the circumstances…
Remember or forget? Depends on the circumstances. Okay, I’ll explain. The moment you select something, you reject something else. Therefore, it’s important that you know the circumstances whenever you need to choose between two. One thing may be right in one situation and totally wrong in another. This is also what I do in my work—select materials, textures, and so on. The right material in the right place.
Aliens or ghosts? Both are welcome.
Dark or light? Daylight and fully dark nights, please.
