Dixon is a designer who works mainly in furniture design—but don’t you dare pigeon-hole him into one sphere of design. Even his furniture designs can hardly be placed in the same box—though similar, they all feature strikingly different elements and details.
You can definitely call his work modern. Or well, contemporary. Or, whatever design period we’re in right now. Actually—Dixon, more appropriately, could be said to be ahead of the design game; his work tends to take on forward-thinking and futuristic elements.
Sofas, chairs, lights, benches, dining tables, coffee tables—all have been re-imagined by the brilliant mind that is Tom Dixon. So talented is he that early on, his work caught the attention of famous Italian furniture maker Cappellini, which went on to manufacture his S-bend Chair, Kitchen Chair, Bird Chaise Longue and Bird 2 Chair. Mirrorball light and the Wingback Chair are also two well-known pieces of his.
Dixon is pretty well-known for his contributions to the world of product design, mainly in the housewares and home décor division. "Eco Ware" tableware, made from biodegradable bamboo fiber, was created by Dixon in 2003 and, while not completely related to product design (though related to being an altogether good guy that realizes the importance of spreading good design), he has been known to give away products, like the lights he gave to Trafalgar Square in 2007 and the pieces he’s allowed to go to public museums, like Boston Museum of Fine Art, the Design Museum in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the MOMA in New York, the Tokyo Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Vitra Museum in Basle, Switzerland. We’re always very impressed with furniture designers who get a lot of attention from museums. After all, it’s not every day a furniture designer straddles the line between design and art.
A British designer, Dixon was actually born in Tunisia before moving to the United Kingdom at the age of four. Remarkably, he never received any formal training; a motorcycle accident and the subsequent need to use welding to fix his bike was what led him to use those same skills to create furniture. Now more than just a freelance designer, Dixon is the Creative Director to the Tom Dixon and Artek furniture design company, to the interior design company Design Research Studio, and travels the world at design-related speaking and charity events. His work is important, and we see him being the subject of “designer influence” articles for a long time to come!Trying to figure out how you can always stay up-to-date on Swank Lighting’s great gorgeous Murano glass lamps or fun design posts? You should “like” us on our Facebook page and follow us on twitter (@swanklighting).
