We had the distinct pleasure to interview award winning designer Karma J about their original and creative Mirror design work. Karma J is an award-winning industrial designer, that makes our world a better place with their original mirror works.
Karma J ("KJ") answered Design Interview ("DI") questions about their award-winning work The Rebel Mirror. Interview questions prepared by Frank Scott.
KJ : The Rebel is about finding yourself and the strength within you. It's knowing which battles to fight and when it's time to go home. It's about trusting that you already know the answers and trust yourself enough to acknowledge it.
KJ : I wanted to combine my two roots and making it attractive for both cultures. In design, you seldom see combinations of minimalist with bohemian or other combinations, and for me I think the intermix attracts me the most in my own home or choice of living. This probably comes from being half European half Middle Eastern.
KJ : To live through and create more characters for the upcoming collections. I would also very much like to work closely with interior designer and architects. To live a project intensely through the eyes of an architect or interior designer (and develop a new character that fits them) is fascinating for a certain period of time. And very liberating to move onto your next destination. I’d like to do more of that.
KJ : The new version of the Rebel was an adaptation but the carvings from the back took some time to realise. It took two months from concept to last trial.
KJ : The Rebel was the master-piece presented at the Solo Exhibition at La Serre in Dubai.
KJ : I intend to produce the work myself.
KJ : I was filling a wall that was facing the sea in a beach resort restaurant. I wanted to reflect the sea but have a subtle design that would give different color reflections of the water, hence the pink. The restaurant is lebanese so I decided to use arabesque patterns within.
KJ : At Dubai Art Fair I saw a mirror with a printed picture within by a Japanese designer. I started researching how to use this technique in my work.
KJ : There are three targets customers for the Rebel. Head buyers of department stores and concept stores looking for aesthetic and fresh designs to collaborate with. Interior designers and architects for an aesthetic mirror piece, and consumers looking for a fresh design to decorate their homes.
KJ : Apart from being functional and aesthetic, I think the main difference is that it conveys a character aesthetics with a story that most of us can relate to. The beauty in being a mirror designer is that there are not many that focus on only mirrors. there is so much still to create.
KJ : The Rebel is someone not afraid to express what he believes in. To stick out in copper pink with a pattern is breaking away on so many levels. Just except me as I am.
KJ : Metal spinning, mirror carving, laquer paint, brown paint.
KJ : Apart from the interaction with The self through The Mirror and character, The design combines two cultures That appear in The design with a minimalist, raw base with an arabesque flair. Using pink as a Mirror sounds flashy but has quite opposite a subtle effect with The copper frame.
KJ : I work closely with a mirror supplier that often thinks out of the box. Also the steel craftsman helped me with conceptualising the reuse of materials.
KJ : There are two rather new and interesting technologies used here. The tinted mirror has existed for quite a while, but not used much in design. The designed carved from the back of the mirror revolutionises the surface of the mirror in the sense that you can personalise your design and having a no feel on the finished surface.
KJ : The challenge of a mirror design is often the weight. Many designers look for ways to reuse materials in order to cut down costs, weight and creating new designs. By cutting out the steel circle in the back, the weight minimised drastically and I was left with many more pieces to use for next designs.
KJ : Again my biggest challenge is usually the weight. And as I prefer to use various steels for an elegant result, weight is always the biggest challenge.
KJ : I have followed Design Milk closely and I was happy to submit my work to a professional panel. Many times when you work alone, it's sometimes hard to bounce back your ideas with the right people and I'm very excited to hear the aspects of their critical and fruitful feedback.
KJ : The two techniques of using tinted mirrors and designing within the mirror opened the door for other designs within other collections. I've personalised some messages and engraved them in the mirror for some and used various colour tints to improve the design on other pieces.
