As the enfant terrible of American design opens his first solo show in Shanghai, TDE revisits an interview published in our first print edition

Brooklyn-based artist Misha Kahn has undoubtedly become the darling of the collectible design world. His particular blend of free experimentation, formal irreverence and the whimsical application of virtual and analogue processes lines up with the current mood – an approach that captivates collectors with its sincerity and open expression of personality.

The designer combines disparate found materials and diverse cultural references in surprisingly cohesive assemblages; a controlled chaos of sorts. These amorphous furnishings seem to distill the collective reflections of a society simultaneously in the throes of disillusionment and exuberance.

Represented by powerhouse gallery Friedman Benda, the 30-something-year-old maverick has established himself with immersive exhibitions that repeatedly challenge convention. His show, ‘Soft Bodies, Hard Spaces’, in 2020, explored the tensions that exist between the rigidity of our built surroundings and the porosity of the natural environments we yearn to reinhabit. Though the exhibition was cut short due to the pandemic, it offered an early glimpse of Kahn’s career-shifting foray into digital production, something he has since explored in depth.

During the past year, the rising star also collaborated with Dries Van Noten on limited edition printed silk garments and a special carte blanche showcase in the Belgian fashion designer’s Los Angeles flagship. The Design Edit contributor Adrian Madlener caught up with Kahn to discover how his work and ideas have been evolving.

Read the article here.