designboom visits jaime hayon's studio in valencia

designboom visits jaime hayon’s studio in valencia
(above) jaime hayon in his creative workspace
portrait © designboom

spanish artist and designer jaime hayon was born in madrid in 1974. trained as an industrial designer in madrid and paris, he joined FABRICA in 1997, the benetton-funded design and communication academy, working closely with photographer oliviero toscani. having only embarked on a solo career in 2004, hayon has already established offices across the globe in italy, spain, UK and japan, and has garnered a client list that includes the likes of camper, established & sons, fabergé, lladró and magis, to name a few. blurring the lines between art, playful decoration and design, his work encompasses a renaissance in finely-crafted, intricate objects within the context of contemporary design culture. working in various fields of furniture, products, interiors, sculptures and art installations, hayon’s diverse portfolio reflects his sense of humor, his curiosity and joy for experiments.

‘I’m always learning by doing things, and I really enjoy what I’m doing. I’ve always been very experimental. I love drawing and I’m very much into sharing things. I have lots of sketchbooks – that’s what I’m doing all the time, sketching, and I keep diaries, of course with drawings…’ – jaime hayon.

communal office
image © designboom

designboom met up with jaime hayon in his studio in valencia, spain. located on the 5th floor of a residential complex in the city center, the workspace is very homelike with its own kitchen, a common room with library and sofa lounge area; with floors covered original hydraulic mediterranean cement tiles that defines each room with different patterns. throughout, random objects and art pieces add visual curiosity, complimenting his own designs – mostly prototypes that were conceived right in the workspace. very high ceilings and big windows let the spanish sun flood through the apartment, creating a very warm, comfortable atmosphere. the valencia studio is a work-in-progress – an adventure where furniture, drawings and sculptures are changing constantly, as well as the purpose of each room. thus, the photos taken during our visit probably no longer indicate how the various spaces are being used. it opened circa 3 years ago, when jaime hayon and his wife, photographer nienke klunder, decided to leave london. ‘even though valencia has over 1 million inhabitants, it feels like a village, very cozy and safe,’ says klunder.

the original floor tiles remain intact adding visual contrast to hayon’s contemporary furniture pieces
image © designboom