IAAI /IA KUTATELADZE
Georgian, Berlin Based Multidisciplinary Designer
IAAI is from Tbilisi, Georgia and studied product and interior design in Florence, Italy, graduating in 2010. Since 2012, she has been creating furniture, lighting and other functional objects. In 2016, she moved to Berlin and in 2019, she created a studio where she works with different materials, creating functional and non-functional, explorative design objects.
Greatest inspirations or influences?
The greatest inspiration for me is the material explorations and the creative processes itself. I am very much interested in trying to understand myself and other humans psychologically in a deeper level, finding the hidden links between my personality and the creative process and then the finished piece. I cannot say that I have influences from specific design or art movement or anything like that. Inspiration could come from anything, the tiniest details of everyday life, to some specific textural, structural combinations that I find in nature or even around cities. It is a mixture of all the small observations and experiences that I live through and some invisible links that are reinterpreted in my mind, which then flows out naturally.
Tell us about your creative process
My creative process is very intimate, intuitive and spontaneous. I really like to experiment and play around, not having a specific plan. Exploring different materials, my personal psychological-emotional states in specific moments of creation, and how those emotions could be reinterpreted into physical objects. It is almost like a meditation, using physical surfaces and intuition to transform and revision the materials. I listen to them, let them communicate with me, let them express their natural properties in a playful way and from this communication, I start interacting with it, trying out different things. It is a very dynamic process. There are also times, when I do plan what I would like to make, make a lot of sketches, with aim or aimlessly and when the time comes, I go back to them, sometimes picking some details from various things that I have sketched long time ago. Starting from one element and then intuitively taking from there, having no idea what the end result will be. I live for that excitement of seeing the process and knowing that you are going to surprise yourself, because there is no pre-planned process.
How did the pandemic affect your creativity?
I was very productive during pandemic, it was my salvation, my way of fighting back at the situation we were in. Every single day, sometimes till late at night, I went to the studio. I had this never ending urge to create, more focus and energy somehow, no distractions, no excuses. Just me and the flow. I am very grateful for this time, actually. Of course, it was a heavy period for everyone. But, I really do believe, that it has done quite a lot of good to a lot of people. I really want to believe, that the inner explorations and calm, peace of mind and re-evaluation of values, our role in a global, communal picture, will change the way we continue to live. Maybe more mindfully, more intentionally. I think, most of us grew from this experience, so hopefully it will affect ourselves and our planet in a positive way.
Icons in your opinion?
To be honest, I don’t really agree with the concept of an icon in general. But, there are a lot of people who’s work is genuine and honest, their creations makes me smile, gives me strength and inspiration. I really respect anyone who is honest with their chosen field of expression, stays true to themselves and never stops creating.
What does wellbeing mean to you?
Well-being is honesty and acceptance to myself, self-compassion. Being honest with self-expression and other aspects of life. Acceptance of oneself, with all of the flaws is really important for peace of mind. Being a good friend to oneself and not trying to constantly perform for the outer world. Observe and assist oneself to be truly yourself. Which translates into the honest creative expression and also honest relationships with other humans. Never stopping the act of creation, exploration and experimentation, is also very important for my well-being, there is no me without it. Living in the present moment as much as possible, and yeah, starting from within, going outwards and not vise versa is the way for me to stay grounded and peaceful.