Who is Richard Yasmine?
Richard Yasmine is an interior architect/product designer.
Born and raised in Beirut. 2003 Masters graduate from the Lebanese university. He started as a conceptual designer and he has worked for many firms in Beirut, Milan, Dubai, and Doha.
He believes design should be simple, bold, and straight forward with a touch of fantasy, merging his experimental dimension with a professional know-how. He incorporates a fresh approach while sticking to culture and traditional aspects, using technology and methodology, perception and spaces.
Member of the syndicate of professional artists, department of scenography, former teacher and lecturer in numerous schools of arts teaching technology of materials and design structure. Richards has participated in several regional and international competitions and acquired number of prizes and awards, permanent attendant to many workshops and fairs in Paris, Milan and New York. Active in the field of installations, furniture and conceptual design, his projects and designs have been featured in many local and international blogs and magazines.
Richard gets his motivation and inspiration from many renowned architects, artists and fashion designers such as Le Corbusier, Tadao Ando, Anish Kappor, Yayoi Kusama, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto.
Lately working on integrating the Middle Eastern spirit in his product design, collaborating with craftsmen, using traditional carving and marquetry on rough materials like wood, metals and stones, seeking to spread the marriage between tradition and trend.
His work
I personally fell in love with Richard Yasmines work once i layed my eyes on them, the result of us both being inspired from the same Architect -Tadao Ando-
His work is minimal and neat, yet it has this craziness to it i can't explain.
Here are my favorite creations:
G L O R Y H O L E S
The Concept
Richard wanted to create a precious product, something so precious to provide another dimension to a home accessory.
The Glory Holes is a multi-functional piece made out of white marble, handmade gold solid brass and a black metal sheet.
It can be used in several ways: a low table, a decorative sculpture, a central piece or a base for a bigger table.
W O N D E R W O O D
The Concept:
WONDERWOOD is the mix of contemporary design with traditional knowhow.
The concept is to create a new product using ancient marquetry (in material and technique) to obtain a trendy pattern made from different textures of natural wood that have been treated and polished to look used and rough.
This product is sculpted and carved to give it that desired shape of melting all the patterns together creating one piece of art.
Wonderwood is a 2 pieces project layed on a rough concrete pedestal with an oxidied brass bracket to create a new design in the world of home accessories.
It is a set of multifunctional product, used as tableware or a freestanding fruit bowl or even a valet tray.
K H A Y Z A R A N F A I R U Z
The Concept:
The Khayzaran design is a Lebanese culture influenced bu the Ottoman and Mediterranean civilizations.
They are known to be valuable and a true Lebanese heritage for those who own any.
Khayzaran / Fairuz concept is to revitalize this Lebanese icon in a more trendy and fashionable way using different materials and a more minimal and modern shape.
The perception is to create diverse home furniture, accessories and items using this “khayzaran” chair configuration, by changing the original aspect, like making it lower with arms or loungy chair, making it as a stool, bench, low, central and side table...Changing and playing with the volumes and using different material combination such as solid wood, brass, and leather creating different shapes from the same old pattern.
Khayzaran/ Fairuz ‘s main objective is to bring back to life a chair and other home accessories used while sipping coffee, playing card, eating around a table, furniture that witnessed war and peace, funerals and wedding events.. Now let’s remove the dust, display the whole set fully dressed and let them show off.
You can check Richard Yasmine website for full explanation on his products: www.richardyasmine.com
And follow him on Instagram: Richard Yasmine to stay up to date with his upcoming exhibitions and designs!