Drift's work combines the dynamism of design with the power of narrative. The studio was founded by Ralph Nauta and Lonneke Gordijn, both graduates of the Design Academy of Eindhoven. The duo's skills are complimentary; Nauta's precise knowledge of craft, materials and production techniques; Gordijn's intuitive awarneww of concept and composition. The resulting works are an intriguing amalgamation of fantasy and increasingly relevant reality. They question relationship between nature, technology and humankind. Nauta describes their approach thus: 'Making what we feel and what we love to see, we translate our dreams into design that can be understood by a large audience. It took a while before it was accepted and that people could see these fragile objects also for their homes, but it seems times have changed. It is now not only about functionality and useful things, but people like to buy an idea, a piece of a dreamworld.'“In
this time of information overload and exaggerated senses, we hope that our work
emphasizes the metaphysical quality of human sensations, that it establishes a
point of balance in the midst of the contradictions of daily life, and that it
stresses immaterial - spiritual and emotional - values. Because of these goals, light has been
one of our favourite mediums; light expresses emotions in a very direct way.” Studio
DRIFT’s work includes DANDELIGHT, FLYLIGHT, FRAGILE FUTURE, SHYLIGHT, OILLIGHT and
the GHOST Collection.
Since
2006 their work has been exhibited at leading museums and fairs worldwide,
including the Victoria & Albert Museum London, Salone del Mobile Milan,
World Expo Shanghai, Design/ Miami, Boijmans van Beuningen Museum, Design Week
Tokyo, Design Act Moscow, Museum of Arts & Design New York and The Israel
Museum. DRIFT
has been awarded several times for their designs, including ‘Light of the
Future’ from the German Design Council in 2008 for Fragile Future. In 2010 Nauta
and Gordijn's Fragile Future Concrete Chandelier won ‘The
Moet Hennessy - Pavillion of Art and Design London Prize’ and was acquired by
the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Most recently, Fragile Future 3.5
won the 1st prize (audience award) at the ZomerExpo, Gemeentemuseum,
The Hague.