Chiara Large by Elisa Strozyk for Pulpo

Designer Elisa Strozyk was born in Berlin, Germany in 1982. From 2001 to 2007, she studied textile and surface design at Berlin Weissensee School of Art (KHB Berlin), ultimately graduating with a diploma. In 2006, she attended École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (ENSAD) in Paris, where she also studied design.  She went on to study Future Textile Design at Central Saint Martins in London, earning her Master’s degree in 2009. Upon graduating, Strozyk returned to Berlin and opened her eponymous studio that same year.

Strozyk specializes in handmade design objects for the home, including textiles, furniture, and lighting. Her work frequently challenges traditional expectations of materials; for example, with her ongoing Wooden Textiles (2014-) project, Strozyk transforms pieces of wood into malleable surfaces by attaching them to textile bases. The pieces’ pliability changes depending on size and shape, so they are applicable in everything from blankets and flooring to furniture, upholstery, and more. Similarly, with her Woven Glass pendant series (2015), Strozyk plays with glass, a normally intractable material, and—by pre-forming glass strips in the kiln—layers and weaves it to create textured, multicolored surfaces.

As of this writing, Strozyk’s designs have been included in a number of exhibitions and fairs, including, but not limited to: The New Simplicity at designforum Wien (Vienna, 2016); Surfaces at Dutch Design Week; Golden Tips at Stilwerk Berlin; Matter of Stuff at the London Design Festival; Pavillon de l’Esprit Nouvewa: A 21^st Century Show Home at the Swiss Institute in New York (all 2015); Gathering, curated by Li Edelkoort, at Design Museum Holon in Tel Aviv (2014); Red Never Follows at Saatchi Gallery, London (2013) ; Against the Grain at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina; Refugium at DMY Berlin (all 2013); Garden of Delights at Galerie Closer in Munich (2012); and Craft Alchemy for Fendi at Design Miami (2011).

Additionally, she’s been honored with multiple awards, such as: a First Prize in the SaloneSatellite Award, the title of Textile Designer of the Year from Elle Magazine, the Bavarian State Prize for Design (all 2011), the Marc Charras Award, and Third Prize from the Smart Future Minds Award (both 2010).

Strozyk lives and works in Berlin.