Michele Oka Doner is a true polymath, and long an exemplar of fluidity between creative disciplines. She has worked in numerous materials (ceramic, metals, wax, and more) and in many genres, from figural sculpture to functional furniture to public art. Animating it all are her multifarious sources, which seem to encompass life in all its forms: the natural abstraction to be found in wood, coral, and bones, the energy that courses through organic matter. Joining us from her Soho loft – itself an extraordinary creation – she shares with us tales and insights from the course of her five decade career.
Watch the conversation here:
Inaugurated in April 2020 in response to the pandemic lockdown, Design in Dialogue began as a way simply to keep the conversation going, and offer a meeting place for the design community.
Over time, the series has become an opportunity to expand the dialogue in unprecedented ways, exploring the breadth and diversity of design. Guests are able to speak safely and freely, in a conversational format offering audiences access to the full dimension of their practices.
We have recorded dialogues with over a hundred designers, makers, artists, architects, critics, historians, writers and curators, and heard them discuss their work and ideas in-depth, direct and unfiltered. To date, the series has been viewed over 700,000 times through our two channels (YouTube and Vimeo) and our distribution partners Dezeen and Designboom.
The world is shifting gears again now, as online connection gives way once more to in-person events. With this in mind, we have decided to transition from our regular weekly broadcast. Design in Dialogue will still continue in the fall of 2021 and beyond, with occasional new interviews. The archive will remain freely viewable in perpetuity, serving as a vital primary source of this moment.
