SITBAG DESIGN BY ERDEM AKAN
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SITBAG DESIGN BY ERDEM AKAN
The Suitcases are reincarnated to chairs with all the memories from
previous lives. The 7 piece installation features sitbags’ very first version
from 2003 designed by Erdem, as well as other new typologies such as the
easychair, the rocker, the chaise longue, the beanbag and chair on rollers. The
series aim to question concepts such as production consumption,
function-dysfunction, industrial-handmade from the design point of view.
http://www.erdemakan.com/?portfolio=Sitbag_Studio_Collection&thumbposition=95
ERDEM AKAN
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Erdem Akan is a designer, design manager, art director, curator,
lecturer and co‑founder of maybedesign. But rather than these, Erdem prefers to be
called a visionary, who blends cultures and disciplines. In spite of, his broad
educational background includes degrees in mechanical engineering, industrial
design and design management, Erdem believes in his self taught design spirit.
His unique design approach is both aesthetically sensitive and style conscious.
Rather than these, Erdem is driven by ideas and creativity.
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
Like his homecity Istanbul, where throughly modern ideas and
traditional practices exist side‑by‑side with, Erdem’s design philosophy is based on tension between all
opposites: fabricated vs. hand‑made; natural vs. artificial; new vs old; tradition vs. avantgarde;
craftsmanships vs. technology; but especially between eastern culture and
western culture. For him design supposed to balance or amplify this tension.
Erdem blends cultures and disciplines; and rather than a style, he
is driven by ideas and creativity. He likes playing with cliches and he is
inspired by provocation.
ERDEM AKAN
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Erdem Akan was born, and followed his studies, in Istanbul‑Turkey, He graduated from Bosphorus University with a BSc. degree
in Mechanical Engineering. British Council Chevening scholarship and his desire
for creativity brought him to University of Salford in Manchester, where he
received his Industrial Design Masters degree. He completed his design studies
with Design Culture and Management Programme in Istanbul Bilgi University. From
1996 to 2001 he has undertaken several design and coordination activities for
commercial vehicle projects at Ford Motor Company Design Studios in Istanbul
(Turkey), Dunton (England) and Dearborn (United States). From 2001 to 2004
Erdem worked as the design manager for Gaia&Gino (Istanbul).
Betwen 2004‑2011, he worked within “maybedesign” with his
partners in Istanbul and Vienna, Boğaç Şimşir, Bora Akçay and Enver Eren, in
various fields from art to engineering, from product design to architecture.
His most notable designs include objects such as the eastmeetswest tea glass,
sitbag series and jewelry such as the Bogaz and Cliché collections, Together
with maybedesign, they opened the retail store, which functioned
as a showcase and platform for emerging designers in Turkey as well as
prominent designers. The unique spirit and product selection of maybeshop
reflected Erdem’s “maybe design, maybe art” philosophy and multidisciplinary
approach.
Since 2012, he designes furnitures, and objects under the brand
e*rdemakan, and give strategic design consultancy to major brands in turkey
with his partner Bogac Simsir under the company BOxER.
To promote Turkish Design he also gives lectures, workshops, seminars
at various
universities, and organizes design exhibitions at various art
galleries. Erdem’s designs have been featured in Wallpaper, New York Times
Style Magazine, Interni, Elle Décor and I.D., among many others.
In 2012 he has been awarded by Elle Décor as Designer of the year
Turkey.
www.erdemakan.com
