Ep. 110: Artist Misha Kahn
Artist and designer Misha Kahn grew up hustling his lakeshore Minnesotan neighbors with tin foil wrapped baked goods, sewing clothes and hanging with exchange student stragglers. A year of guzzling weird culture in Brussels set him on a path to study furniture design in school. Now, at the young age of 30, his career has snowballed and earned him a reputation in the art world as an exciting and provocative force working at the intersection of furniture and sculpture. Sewing and tin foil still included.
Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Misha Kahn.
Photography by Pari Ehsan
What is your earliest memory?
We were in Mexico, my mom was working on a project there so I guess we were there for a few months. There was a guy who would deliver banana muffins and I just remember me and my brother screaming banana man one morning when he showed up.
How do you feel about democratic design?
Hahaha, well, I feel like design should not be exclusive to any income. I don’t think that everyone having the same object makes any sense either though - so in the original sense I am against it. I think design should be about community and individuals expressing themselves and sharing their narratives and being creative with their living situations. I don’t think it should be a company producing endless amounts of pieces to try to sell to everyone, even if that object is well designed.
Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Misha Kahn
Photography by Daniel Kukla
What’s the best advice that you’ve ever gotten?
Only work with people you like.
How do you record your ideas?
Mostly in my mind- if they kick around and are still glued in there a month later it’s time to get them into sketch form.
Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Misha Kahn
Photography by Daniel Kukla
Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Misha Kahn
Photography by Daniel Kukla
What’s your current favorite tool or material to work with?
Occulus Medium! It’s a kids game that lets you sketch in virtual reality. Or my new kuka robot! It’s a giant arm that’s like an employee that never tires!
What book is on your nightstand?
Well my mom just visited and left behind her latest book which is a YA historical fiction novel called village of scoundrels. I read it in an early stage so now I get to see how its changed over the last year of her working on it.
Why is authenticity in design important?
I guess in a way I don’t want it to be important -because what does it matter who does what, that’s only relevant if we zoom way in and stay focused on time as linear. But - I think if were not striving to be authentic and individual there’s no reason to push to make something new - and I get so thrilled to see something that shocks me that I can’t have that taken away. So, I think it’s important as a means to strive to go further into the creative unknown. I don’t think being original is as important as doing the best job though - and there’s been a couple times I’ve seen my work copied but they did a better job, and on those special occasions I can only say: respect!
Favorite restaurant in your city?
I love this little French Malaysian place called Aux Epices. The wife is Malaysian and the husband French and those two countries know how to knock a fish soup outta the park.
Courtesy of Friedman Benda and Misha Kahn
Photography by Daniel Kukla
What might we find on your desk right now?
Some computers, a sketchbook, a pile of fabric swatches, some little models, a hoard of chicken scratch to do lists.
Who do you look up to and why?
I think Noguchi. I love his work and the span of it from art to design to park to play - and that the level of work done on a piece can range from lazy to intensely involved.
What’s your favorite project that you’ve done and why?
The first scrappy cabinet, which we showed at Design Miami a few years ago. I made it with a group in Swaziland called gone rural. I was there visiting and working with them and trying to come up with a way to weave trash and have it look good. The piece was such a transformation of a material, but also just felt like it had so many tiny ideas and experiments literally woven into it- it just had so much energy.
What are the last five songs you listened to?
I’m just gonna list five random songs:
Christina Millian "Dip It Low"
Paul Simon "Graceland"
Lorenzo Jovanti Cherubini " L'obelico del Mondo"
King Princess "Hit the Back"
Kelsey Lu "Due West"
Where can our listeners find you on the web and on social media?
Friedman Benda has the most reliable list of work online, I also have website that is getting some work done finally - mishakahn.com but mostly Instagram - @Mishakahn
Clever is produced by 2VDE Media. Thanks to Rich Stroffolino for editing this episode.
Music in this episode courtesy of El Ten Eleven—hear more on Bandcamp.
Shoutout to Jenny Rask for designing the Clever logo.
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