Designer of the Year
Jiří Pelcl
Jiří Pelcl, professor at the AAAD in Prague and prolific designer and architect, is nominated for Máj, his collection of outdoor furniture designed for Egoé (the subsidiary of Czech company mmcité), and for Big and Small Objects, an exhibition that was held at the DOX gallery last autumn.
Consisting of a chair and two types of sofas with short legs, Máj is an organic collection. All of the pieces feature distinct, tall metal backrests of various shapes reminiscent of rose stalks. The products carry subtle references to Pelcl's designs for the post-modern group Atika. The collection also includes tables in three heights and table-tops in three different widths. The set is complemented by floral cushions.
Big and Small Objects featured Pelcl's latest designs. In addition to the exhibition installation itself, the nomination recognises both his large and small-scale designs, including Strom (Tree), an archetypal object located at the Science and Technology Centre in Ostrava, Dento, his collection of vases for BOMMA, the Geo vase for Moser's 2015 collection, his Wood & Leather bowls designed for LUGI and limited editions of his art objects Talismany (Talismans) and Metamorfózy (Metamorphoses).
Danica Kovářová