Five reasons to love Austrian designer Irene Maria Ganser

Irene Maria Ganser does not constrain herself to any one sphere of creative expression. Her love of materials and making flows into her painting, jewelry, furniture, and interior design practice; in her bespoke, site-specific installations and commercial art projects for clients like the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna (MAK), Opel, and a luxury hotel in Montenegro.

After growing up in Linz in northern Austria, Ganser moved first to Paris and then to Milan, along the way racking up experience in design, fashion, and interior architecture. She worked for several years with the iconic Milanese shop Corso Como 10, working under American artist, designer, and goldsmith Kris Ruhs, who created the Corso Como identity. After returning to Austria, in 2007 Ganser established her eponymous studio in Vienna, driven by her love for metalwork and aptitude for drawing warmth and sensuality out of this otherwise cold, hard material. Vienna’s long tradition of art foundry craftsmanship and Viennese Secessionist architecture are echoed in her jewelry-like metal tables and tabletop accessories. Read on for a glimpse into the workings of this talent’s prolific mind.

 

1. What are three things you can't live without?

Good weather, beautiful nature, and good design.

2. Which social movement do you most admire and why?

All organizations that aim to take care of the ocean and fight marine littering. The pollution of the world’s oceans, rivers, and lakes endanger the living organisms and is one of the greatest challenges for our global society. If the pollution continues at the current pace, the seas will be completely covered in a few years. I often wonder if my daughter will be able to enjoy a clean sea or if it will be impossible to swim in the ocean in 20 years.

3. How many photos do you have right now on your phone? Would you mind sharing one?

Millions! This is one of my favorite moments of the last year. It was nine o'clock in the morning on Christmas day. Blue, clear sky; fantastic snow; no people; and the anticipation of celebrating with my family in the evening. One of the best days of 2017!

4. What is your favorite way to waste time?

Surfing the Internet.

5. Time freezes for a day. What do you do?

I would do the same thing that is, at the moment, a perfect day for me. Have a good breakfast, go for a swim, and then work on a piece or a painting. In the evening, I’d have a barbecue with family and friends.