A new year is the perfect time to examine things broadly, and make lists.

This time we chose to direct the spot to those who worked, sweated, invested and achieved impressive achievements in the worlds of home design.

We chose to focus on 15 product designers who have not yet celebrated 40, who create in the local scene, and who managed, despite the bureaucratic, geographical and cultural difficulties, to make their mark.

Some of them left the studio space and opened independent galleries, others created collaborations with international brands and consolidated the work around the studio.

We asked them to put their finger on the point where they broke through their personal glass ceiling, and where they knew they were doing something right.

We also dived into the stories of their latest collections, and for dessert we checked who their people of the year are.

Handmade concrete for the home environment //

Moon and land

// Netta Weizman (31)

Neta Weizman (31), Moon and Land

• What does the studio specialize in:

  designs and accessories for a handmade concrete house.

• What was the turning point?

  This is not a single turning point.

  Every time customers come back and buy from me again and again, send friends and family to buy from me, or stop by me at my points of sale and tell me they are in love with my items, I feel it all over again.

• What led to the design of your latest

  collection - The latest collection I released is a revamp of a product that has been around since the early days of the business, my unique vases.

  They were created completely by mistake.

  I tried to make a certain tool, and when I first saw what came out I felt that this is how the product should look.

  The vases were initially in monochromatic shades, just like planets (as the name of the business suggests).

  Their beauty and uniqueness is that none of them are similar to the other.

  Each vase is handmade, so its shape, color and even weight will be unique to it.

  What I like about concrete is that it doesn't come out perfect, and the result changes every time.

• Summing up a year.

  Your woman of the year is

  a girl named Agam Korn, who recovered from a terrible fall while abseiling.

  Ever since the injury, I've been following her story, and I was excited to see the strength and power she has to come back to life.

A cluster of concrete vases, Moon and Land, photo: Udol Capon

Concrete coffee coasters with a terrazzo look, Moon and Land, photo: Udol Capon

Materials that come with the past and develop into a new product // Paz Rosen (32)

Paz Rosen (32), Paz Rosen Studio, photo: Asaf Haber

• What does the studio specialize in

  : design and construction of items with the "yes mish" approach, upcycling, combining materials that come with the past and develop into new products.

• What was the turning point?

  I have always used clothes as a tool for expression, and studied fashion design.

  At the end of school, the corona virus broke out, and made us gather inside.

  I started to deal with the spaces that surround us, I recognized wooden surfaces around me and started playing with them as raw material.

  The wood, an organic material that moves and moves, paints a different story in each piece, I quickly fell in love with it and it became a stable anchor for me in the combination of materials and textures.

• What led to the design of your latest

  collection - The last collection I designed is a mini series of meditation chairs.

  The piece arose out of a personal journey and the need to overcome the limitations of the body, and extend the practice time.

  The chair is designed to take the load off the knees and stabilize the back in the most optimal way for prolonged sitting.

  The chairs are made from recycled wood and maintain a natural and clean look inspired by the arts of the East.

• Summing up a year.

  Your women of the year are -

  Anat Glazer and Doron Shay, who are the 'craft owners' of a wooden furniture studio.

  I really like their works, they sculpt the material and draw the line between furniture and art.

  
  

  After I finished a carpentry course at the Ministry of Employment, they accepted me to intern at their studio, gave me space to experiment with materials and tools to grow and shape myself in my new way.

Hammock chair, Paz Rosen, photo: Asaf Haber

Pedestal with braided look, Paz Rosen, photo: Asaf Haber

Organic shapes that combine handwork and advanced technology //

VELVART

// Keren Velort (28)

Karen Velort (28), VELVART

• What does the studio specialize in:

  designing items for the home in organic shapes, combining handwork and advanced technology.

• What was the turning point?

  The more I told what was behind the designs, not just the work process, the feedback came.

  When people wanted to see and hear more of the story and inspiration behind each piece.

  When the audience was carried away by the world of the content of each work, and not by its beauty alone, I knew I was doing something right.

• What led to the design of your latest collection

  - my new item is different designs for lighting fixtures, each one sculpted by hand.

  Each of them is a little different and unique.

  The shape comes from nature: the horizon lines of the mountains form the contours of the light fixture.

  The natural and unique movement of everyone is like the wind: caressing, gentle and one that cannot be accurately predicted.

  As in all my collections, the lighting fixtures frame the wild, and above all - bring a piece of nature into the home.

• Summing up a year.

  Your man of the year is -

  James Turrell.

  I first saw one of his works at the Israel Museum 15 years ago.

  And since then, with each year that my thinking and interest in design continues to evolve, I find myself inspired by his ability to continue to explore and create for decades.

  Every time I return to his work I will discover something new and experience it a little differently.

A selection of tools in organic shapes drawn from nature outside, VELVART, photo: Keren Velort

White light fixture with red wire from the new collection, VELVART, photo: Keren Velort

Art furniture and limited edition jewelry //

Alon Bitton – Jewelry |

Art

// Alon Bitton (36)

Alon Bitton, 36, Alon Bitton – Jewelry |

Art, photography: Guy Habib

• What does the studio specialize in:

  designing furniture items and art items in limited editions and luxury jewelry.

• What was the turning point?

  When I opened my shop and started working directly with my customers without any intermediaries, and I saw the direct impact of my creation on their lives.

  I realized how much power my creation has and how I can use the tools I have to do good, empower and heal those who come in contact with me and my creation.

• What led to the design of your latest

  collection - my new collection is called - YOU ARE PURE LOVE.

  It was born out of a process of internal focus that I went through.

  I realized that above all, whether it is a product, a sculpture or a piece of jewelry, the essence of my creation is first of all the spirit.

  After a period in which the mantra YOU ARE PURE LOVE repeated itself in my head, I began to draw and scribble sketches of this text and turn it as it is into jewelry.

  
  

  When I moved to the design phase, the connection of the typography together with the formality of the jewelry created special, intriguing and cool items that can connect to a wide variety of people and events and be a wonderful opportunity for a celebration of love.

• Summing up a year.

  Your woman of the year is -

  designer Doreen Frankfurt.

  I met her a year ago, and from the first moment I was fascinated by her kindness and her desire to do good in the world.

  She inspires me greatly on a personal and professional level.

  Her ability to pursue dreams and fulfill them over the years is amazing to me.

A lighting fixture that combines wood and brass, photo: Gideon Levin

 From the new collection - YOU ARE PURE LOVE, photo: Alon Biton

Home products with a section you remember // Studio Bar// Bar Davidovich (33)

Bar Davidovich (33), photo: Studio Bar

• What does the studio specialize in:

  useful products for the home with a section that remembers.

• What was the turning point?

  First of all from the user side - when people tell me that they enjoy the products I designed, and from the other side of the collaborations - when I started receiving requests from companies I work with to design more products for them.

• What led to the design of your latest collection -

  a rug collection by MOOOI and distributed by Tollmans.

  The development started during the Corona period which emphasized to us that there is no digital without the physical, and in general, the importance of the physical and the closeness that was sorely lacking.

  The carpets were inspired by visuals of internal components of digital products, processors and hardware.

  Without them, there would simply be no digital.

• Summing up a year.

  Your woman of the year is -

  my mother, who has had a difficult year and despite that she always reminds me of their strength, life and strength.

A carpet with a digital look (Digital Rug) - integrated into a living space, design for MOOOI, photo: courtesy of Tolman's Dot

23 Croissant tray, design by Roche Beauvois, photo: Pietro Hecht

The material is a tool to tell a story and deal with social and environmental issues

//

KAYAM

// Daniel Elkayam (30)

Daniel Elkayam (30), photo: Hila Chen

• What does the studio specialize in:

  design and photography that deal with environmental issues, and draw inspiration from nature, mainly from unconventional phenomena and materials.

• What was the turning point?

  Along the way I had a few.

  In the beginning when I offered my projects for sale, then when I grew up and established my studio, and in general - a request from people or companies who are interested in my aesthetics, it shows me that I am in the right place.

  A good example is an approach from a company that develops cultured meat, who invited me to work for them and explore unconventional ways in which art can change public opinion in preparation for Earth Day.

  I created a series of wooden furniture burned with a unique technique that produced random patterns, simulating the skin of a cow.

• What led to the design of your latest collection -

  I recently started studying at the Design Academy in Eindhoven, and in one of the courses I delved deeply into climate issues, and specifically in an approach that sees nature as a lover that must be protected, and not as a resource that must be exploited.

  The installation I created includes a video work next to a sculpture of a single tree, which expresses the material memory of the forest and the potential inherent in it.

• Summing up a year.

  Your woman of the year is -

  my mother.

  Beyond the fact that she supports my choices, in the last year she has shown me that she is the strongest person there is, and how much you can face and recover from everything. She undoubtedly fills me with inspiration.

Furniture with cow skin patterns, photo: Guy Rashkovan

SEAmpathy - Nature is a lover that needs to be protected, photo: Oded Antman

Ceramic works that are the product of geological exploration // Ziv Ganel (39)

Ziv Ganel (39), photo: Nir Shalkman

• What does the studio specialize in:

  ceramics, art and applied art.

• What was the turning point?

  A visit by Avi Rubinstein, CEO of Israel Museum Products, to my studio in the designers' incubator at the Design Terminal. He was moved by the works and invited me to participate in a large and new project that will be unveiled in the spring of 2023, as part of an exhibition that will be held at the Israel Museum.

• What led to the design of your latest collection -

  As a designer, I feel like I wear a researcher's hat.

  My ceramic works are made of dozens of different types of clay that I mix myself to produce different textures, colors and patterns in the process of geological prospecting.

  I am working on a series of jugs that deals with climate change in Antarctica.

  The urns show layers of baked earth, and I'm excited about the possibility of exploring the history of the earth.

• Summing up a year.

  Your woman of the year is -

  Iris Nesher.

  She is a creative artist, a woman with huge mental dimensions, noble and inspiring.

  For the past year and a half I have been working for her as an assistant, and this was the softest landing I could imagine back into the ceramic world.

  Her transcendence and heroism in dealing personally with the family tragedy that befell her is a flashlight for me, she lights the way for me in my difficulties.

Ceramic clay, a product of geological research, photo: Ziv Ganel

Layered vases, work using the technique of baked earth, photo: Ziv Ganel

Laminated wood bending //

ZALKIND

// Chen Zalkind (35)

Chen Zalkind (35), photo: Ran Kushnir

• What does the studio specialize in:

  wooden furniture and lighting.

• What was the turning point?

  My first fresh paint exhibition in 2019.

  It was the first time I offered my products for sale, and people not only got excited and cheered but also bought, which gave me real confirmation that I was doing something good.

• What led to the design of your latest

  collection - the latest collection is called PRINGLES.

  It is a series of wooden lighting fixtures combined with metal, using the technique of bending wood in laminate.

  The idea came from a previous product of the studio, a curved bench that is also manufactured in laminate.

  We created different types of lamps, and the name of the collection came from the convex shape associated with the familiar snack.

• Summing up a year.

  The people of your year are -

  the people who choose to buy Israeli design, even though there are Italian brands at similar prices, and you can order everything with a click.

  I believe in local consumerism and traditional industry, as a more moral way of life, in terms of sustainability and in general, and appreciate the people who choose to support this.

Galim Library, photo: Oded Smeder

Large rainbow lamp, photo: Oren Amos

Light Weaver // Chen Taoz Studio // Chen Taoz (31)

Chen Taoz and the first lighting fixture she designed as part of the studio, "Balbi", photo: Yaniv Gabai

• What does the studio specialize in

  : lighting fixtures and unique decor products.

• What was the turning point?

  When I was accepted to present at the prestigious exhibition "Salon Stelita" during the design week in Milan, less than a year after I opened the studio.

  The choice was made by a curatorial committee of the official fair where huge companies exhibit.

  I was very excited.

• What led to the design of your latest

  collection - The last collection I designed was "Origa" (light and weaving), my collaboration with veteran weaver Ziva Epstein.

  Before that I didn't work with textiles, and I fell in love with weaving.

  Already in the initial stages I tried to combine the fabric from the loom with different light sources, I folded, unfolded and examined the results, and we made changes until we were satisfied with the models.

  It was an intensive process, and today the collection is presented as part of my solo exhibition at Vitrina Gallery in Holon.

• Summing up a year.

  Your person of the year is -

  Liron Hershkovitz, head of the association "Get Out of the Box".

  Liron is a person who inspires a lot.

  The magnitude of the projects he led and implemented is unimaginable, and the important and valuable goals he promotes make our society better.

  Among the association's activities - an incubator for the promotion of young designers, and three rehabilitative employment establishments for mentally challenged people, who work in some projects in collaboration with the designers.

Origa collection, collaboration between Chen Taoz and Ziva Epstein, photo: Yaniv Gabai

Origa collection, collaboration between Chen Taoz and Ziva Epstein, photographer: Adi Gilad

Between the broken and the golden //

Rotem Tal

// Ratem Tal (35)

Ratem Tal (35), photo: Public Relations

• What does the studio specialize in:

  design and production of ceramic products - jewelry and tools.

• What was the turning point?

  When I started participating in fairs and I received very positive feedback on the products I create.

• What led to the design of your latest

  collection - The last collection I designed was my "Broken" Tool Collection.

  A series of ceramic vessels with a clean and minimalistic design, the rim of the vessel is not straight but - "broken" and decorated with a gold line.

  My inspiration came from a Japanese technique called Kintsugi, a technique of repairing pottery.

  They glue broken vessels with a golden substance and thus the broken vessel receives renewed life.

  I love the Japanese aesthetic and am inspired by their techniques.

  I started the collection with a trial bowl and I liked the result so much that now there are bowls in a variety of sizes, vases, jugs, mugs and saucers.

• Summing up a year.

  Your woman of the year is -

  my mother, who is going through a difficult time but manages to be there for everyone with a smile and a lot of giving.

A set of white dishes with a golden finish, photo: Ratem Tal

Set of black bowls with a broken and golden finish, photo: Ratem Tal

Architectural ergonomics //

NACHSHON studio

// Tomer Nachshon (39)

Tomer Nachshon (39) on a chair he designed, photo: Studio NACHSHON

• What does the studio specialize in:

  furniture design.

• What was the turning point?

  The turning point for me was about seven years ago, when for the first time a gallery (Gloria Mundi in Tel Aviv) wanted to show the armchair I designed. Entering Gloria Mundi was for me an official confirmation that I was on the right track, and opened the door and the desire to establish the studio and design more items. The armchair most associated with the studio and also the best-selling.

• What led to the design of your latest collection -

  in recent months we have been developing a lighting collection in the studio, which includes a floor, wall, ceiling and table lamp.

  Similar to the other items of the studio, the design of the lighting fixtures was born from the world of inspiration of material, detail and technology.

  We started delving into a new technique that led to the shape of the lamp shade, which unites all the items into a distinct design language.

• Summing up a year.

  Your Women of the Year are -

  a studio of artisans (not one, but two very talented ones), I am very happy to see their growth, the quality products they make and the development of their independent collection.

  Their work, both as designers and as producers, makes their studio a relevant and up-to-date Israeli studio.

A leather chair with an architectural look, photo: NACHSHON studio

A standing light fixture and coffee tables engraved with the exit of the city of Haifa, photo: Studio NACHSHON

Textiles at the seam between design and art // Tamar Barnitsky Artist and textile designer // Tamar Barnitsky (38)

Tamar Barnitsky, artist and textile designer, photo: Public Relations

• What does the studio specialize in:

  printing.

  Textile techniques that create unique collections of scarves and pillows and series of works of art.

• What was the turning point?

  In 2010 I gave a client a scarf as a gift, and she said she didn't know whether to wear it, or hang it on the wall.

  This reaction introduced me to a creative journey in the depths of imagination and emotion, and to material research on what items can be created between design and art.

  I discovered that design items do not change the world, but make it more beautiful and pleasant.

• What led to the design of your latest collection -

  My latest series of works was presented in a solo exhibition at the BY5 gallery called "Land of the Tops" in November 2022. The series began when I went for a walk in the Jerusalem mountains and was fascinated by the forest.

  In the workshop I printed, sewed, painted and burned, and organized nature as I see it anew, so that it becomes an experience from a physical place.

• Summing up a year.

  Your women of the year are -

  the duo of curators Tamar Lamdan and Carmit Shein.

  Over the years I have learned that the most important part is to choose good travel partners.

  Tamar and Carmit went through a professional path of guidance and inspiring accompaniment with me.

  I opened up with them to the possibility of a real professional partnership and for that I thank them.

Flower print by Tamar Barnitsky, photo: Public Relations

Tamar Barnitsky, the land of the peaks, photo: Roi Mizrahi

The connection between handicrafts and advanced technologies // Tamara Anna Efrat // Tamara Efrat (33)

Tamara Efrat (33), photo: Yoav Peled

• What does the studio specialize in:

  The studio specializes in the connection between traditional crafts and advanced technologies.

• What was the turning point?

  When I finished my master's degree at Bezalel in 2015, my final project was very successful - it was presented in many exhibitions in Israel and around the world.

  I was invited to give a lecture on it and articles were written about it everywhere.

  There was a big buzz around it and that was the turning point for me where I realized that maybe something right is happening here.

• What led to the design of your latest

  collection - The last collection I designed was a set of 17 porcelain vessels, inspired by the textile women of the Bauhaus.

  It started as research on the textiles, which I translated in a special computer program that maps colors to height, and thus with the help of an algorithm I created patterns that became tools.

  These days I am working on a new collection of textile works, based on parametric embroidery.

  They will be shown in solo exhibitions that will open in April at Gallery 5 B.

• Summing up a year.

  Your woman of the year is

  Talia Yanover.

  In addition to being a close friend, a talented designer, she is also the curator of my exhibition.

  We are going through a fascinating journey together, I am constantly learning from her wisdom and the interesting way in which she looks at design and art anew, challenges me with questions, and creates new worlds with me.

From the project crafted technology Tamara Efrat in collaboration with Moran Mizrahi and Amit Zoran, photo: Daniel Schechter

A vase from the collection inspired by the textile women of the Bauhaus, photo: Daniel Schechter

Braided childhood memories // Notts Studio // Netta Tesler (36)

Neta Tesler (36), photo: Public Relations

• What does the studio specialize in:

  furniture design and home textile products. 

• What was the turning point?

  For me, the turning point was when I started selling products abroad through the website. I didn't want to limit myself to the State of Israel, and when I reached a situation where 90% of the orders were abroad, I realized that I had done something right.

• מה הוביל לעיצוב הקולקציה האחרונה שלך - המוצר האחרון שעצבתי הוא קולקצית סלסלות שנקראת HULL - המשמעות של המילה היא השלד של הסירה, ומשם גם מגיעה ההשראה. הסלסלות עשויות משלד עץ שמזכיר שלד של סירות עץ עתיקות. כל סלסלה נארגת בעבודת יד על ידי איש צוות מהסטודיו. בפרויקט הגמר שלי בשנקר החלטתי לחקור את עולם הימאות והחומרים שמהם בנויות סירות, בעקבות זיכרונות ילדות מהפלגות עם אבא וסבא שלי בים. מאז ועד היום הים ועולם הימאות הם חלק מהאסתטיקה של המוצרים שלי.
• מסכמים שנה. אשת השנה שלך היא - פטריסיה אורקיולה - מעצבת רב תחומית מספרד. היא אחת הדמויות הנשיות הבודדות הבולטות בעולם העיצוב, והיא משלבת בין מודרניזם ופונקציונאליות. אני מאוד מעריכה נשים חזקות שמצליחות לשעוט קדימה למרות הקושי שכרוך בשילוב אימהות, עסקים ועיצוב.

כיסא שרפרף עם מושב קלוע, צילום: איה ווינד

מושב רצפתי משתלב היטב בחלל מגורים בגווני בז' ואדמה, צילום: דור שרון

קסם האדמה המקומית // מטריאל גירלז // שי ג'רסי ועדי טל (36)

שי גרסי ועדי טל, צילום: מעיין דיסקין

• במה מתמחה הסטודיו: עיצוב קרמי.
• מה הייתה נקודת המפנה? ב-2019 הצגנו בתערוכה של לה קולטור שאצר איתי בלאיש. הנושא היה "מדבר", ואנחנו יצאנו לאסוף אדמה מדברית וחזרנו לסטודיו לשחק איתה בתנור הקרמי. לתערוכה הכנו כ-250 קערות, חלקן מכוסות חרסיות מקומיות בגוונים שונים, וחלקן לבנות קלאסיות. חששנו שלאנשים יהיה קשה עם מגע החומר החשוף, אבל כל מי שהגיע והרים את הקערות, אהב את הטקסטורה וגם את הסיפור שלה. להפתעתנו כל הקערות שנמכרו היו אלו שכוסו בחרסית. הבנו שיש פה קטע.

• What led to the design of your latest collection -

  the romance with the local pottery continued to accompany us.

  In the last collection we took it a step further and sampled lands from all parts of the country, and also a little outside of it.

  We put together a palette of colors and textures that tell the story of the land.

  We presented the collection at the last fresh paint fair.

  The central object was a wall of glasses arranged in rows according to the colors, from dark to light.

  Each visitor who purchased a glass, actually changed the wall, began to mix the different layers of paint one inside the other, so that the wall changed, just like what happens to landscape formations in nature.

  The tools we create are useful, but presenting them together, as a group seeks to tell a story.

• Summing up a year.

  Your woman of the year is

  Raya Stern, a wonderful ceramicist and a woman who is an inspirational model.

  this year and every year.

A wall of cups that changes with every movement, photo: Maayan Diskin

Vaza with an authentic mud look, photo: Maayan Diskin

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