journal
08 / 07 / 2015
Czech designer Lucie Koldova has her own studio in Prague, a city where she returned to after living for some years in Paris. Among other projects, she assumes the creative direction at the glass lighting company Brokis, also based in the Czech Republic.
After some years in Paris you moved back to Prague, why?
I moved to Paris to do an internship with Arik Levy and then after some time I decided to dedicate to my own projects. I started to have my own clients and it wasn’t really my initial plan to stay in Paris. It made sense to come back.
After some years in Paris you moved back to Prague, why?
I moved to Paris to do an internship with Arik Levy and then after some time I decided to dedicate to my own projects. I started to have my own clients and it wasn’t really my initial plan to stay in Paris. It made sense to come back.
"It’s very hard to describe my work because I do it intuitively"
How did you start working with Brokis?
While I was still in Paris I came to the Czech Republic to visit a glass factory, and then someone told me about Brokis and that they were looking for designers to work with. A teacher of mine put me in contact with Mr. Rabell (Brokis’ CEO) who wanted to participate at Design Blok in Prague. They wanted to present new pieces and they chose me to design some of them. That was when I designed Muffins.
Can you describe your own work?
I think I’m too young to describe my work. I like creating in a sculptural way. People say that my work is pure but simple. For me pure design can be boring but what I try is to project my nature and my emotions into the design, and I believe that the objects I’m making have a certain energy. I don’t call myself an industrial designer. I’m a designer but I work with emotions and feelings. It’s very hard to describe my work because I do it intuitively.
While I was still in Paris I came to the Czech Republic to visit a glass factory, and then someone told me about Brokis and that they were looking for designers to work with. A teacher of mine put me in contact with Mr. Rabell (Brokis’ CEO) who wanted to participate at Design Blok in Prague. They wanted to present new pieces and they chose me to design some of them. That was when I designed Muffins.
Can you describe your own work?
I think I’m too young to describe my work. I like creating in a sculptural way. People say that my work is pure but simple. For me pure design can be boring but what I try is to project my nature and my emotions into the design, and I believe that the objects I’m making have a certain energy. I don’t call myself an industrial designer. I’m a designer but I work with emotions and feelings. It’s very hard to describe my work because I do it intuitively.
How would you describe the Czech design scene? How it is to be a designer there?
The main issue is that there aren't many companies that can provide work for designers so that they can earn a living. There are very skilled people and we have really good design schools. But I don’t think there are a lot of opportunities because there’s not that many industry, it’s a very small country... There are some names worth mentioning of course, but I can’t say that we have a Czech design scene and it’s difficult to define the Czech style as of now. The scene is shaping up this young generation. So maybe in twenty years we can define what is happening now.
The main issue is that there aren't many companies that can provide work for designers so that they can earn a living. There are very skilled people and we have really good design schools. But I don’t think there are a lot of opportunities because there’s not that many industry, it’s a very small country... There are some names worth mentioning of course, but I can’t say that we have a Czech design scene and it’s difficult to define the Czech style as of now. The scene is shaping up this young generation. So maybe in twenty years we can define what is happening now.