Northern light

WORDS: Nicci Collier | PHOTOS: Shavan Rahim

Aaron Kearney hails from Northern Ireland and has settled on our shores, adding his active design mind to the pool of Cape Town talent. We’re in love with his slick, geometric Octahedron collection – and that delightful accent, of course. 

VISI spoke to Aaron to find out more…

You moved from Northern Ireland to South Africa three years ago. Why the move?

After completing my degree in London, I worked for a small furniture company in South Wimbledon, but I felt I needed a change to really challenge myself and test my skills in terms of designing, making, and also in an entrepreneurial sense. I also found London very impersonal as I had grown up as part of a much smaller community.

When did your interest in design first begin and where was it honed?

It really started after watching my grandfather doing woodwork in his workshop. A retired doctor of 40 years, he had intuitive, self-taught practical skills. My interest was then nurtured by an award-winning art department at school, and continued into my studies at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London.

Describe the aesthetic of your furniture collection.

Geometric, organic and biomorphic.

Tell us a bit more about your Octahedron designs: what inspired you, what materials did you use and what has the response been like?

The Octahedrons have been a work in progress since 2008. They’re inspired by the simplicity and complexity of geometry. When you break the prism down, it’s made up of two pyramids that are joined via their square bases. As simple as it sounds, when the piece is placed on any side it becomes difficult to figure out – a complexity that’s compounded when the triangular panels are changed. The pieces are made from 6mm mild steel, which is laser cut, and then powder coated.

The response has been very positive and I’ll be having an exhibition of pieces in various sizes and materials towards the end of the year.

Who and what inspires your designs?

Designers such as Ross Lovegrove and Marc Newson are two major sources of inspiration. I’m also inspired by the interactions of people with furniture and products – the way a piece can be used in a different way to that which the designer intended.

Recently my one-year-old son, whose curiosity and playfulness is endless, inspired me.

Any exciting new projects or ideas in the pipeline?

A solid-wood, steam-bent walker for toddlers, a range of ceramics, and the previously mentioned Octahedron exhibition.

More information: + 27 (0) 719 001 201, www.aaronkearneydesign.com, [email protected]