Samy Rio

Samy Rio is a French designer, who originally started his career as a woodworker before deciding he wanted to pursue industrial design. After completing woodworking training, Rio changed paths and began studying Industrial Design at Ecole Nationale Superieure de Creation Industrielle (ENSCI) in Paris. Although an obvious adjustment, Samy Rio's experience in the woodworking field provided him with valuable skills that greatly influence his work today.

In 2015 the French designer opened up his own studio, where he still resides now. Rio is now based in the city of Arles, where he provides a fresh perspective to modern-day designs, utilising ecological materials to craft products that boast simplistic structures - but embody a deep thought process. He creates objects that bridge traditional crafts and modern industrial processes through playful and functional material combinations.

"Even as a child I was constantly building things, trying to connect things together, which makes sense with me becoming a cabinet maker and then an industrial designer. But what I really found interesting in design is that you can connect so many materials and practices and people in a global project." - Samy Rio