Selected Images

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  The Others (Lanterns S, M, and Statue Lika), 2017
  The Others (Lanterns S, M, and Statue Lika), 2017

  Stephen Burks (American, born 1969), designer
  DEDON, Germany, established 1990, manufacturer
  The Others (Lanterns S, M, and Statue Lika), 2017
  Aluminum, polyethylene fiber, marble, acrylic, and LED solar panels
  High Museum of Art, Atlanta, gift of DEDON, 2022.72.1–3

  In the wake of the Syrian refugee crisis, Burks designed these anthropomorphic characters as lanterns from a distinct point of view: “We all came from someplace else once. There was a time when we were each the other.” By manufacturing the lanterns with various materials sourced from different countries in a “global assemblage” and forming them into modular designs, allowing for object individuality, Burks gave each of these lanterns a life of their own. This work also acts as a metaphor for the benefits of diverse communities: if you invite “outsiders” into your neighborhood, they may offer unique and enlightening ways of looking at the world.

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  Friends and Neighbors Mirrors, 2021
  Friends and Neighbors Mirrors, 2021

  Stephen Burks (American, born 1969), designer
  Salvatori, Italy, established 1946, manufacturer
  Friends and Neighbors Mirrors, 2021
  Recycled marble and glass
  Courtesy of Salvatori

  Friends table mirror and its counterpart, Neighbors, were the result of Burks’s time spent early in the pandemic reflecting on the power of community and how we are shaped by those around us. The last few years have made it difficult to physically be with our friends, neighbors, and family, but as Burks notes, “a mirror may not bring you closer to those you care about, but it has the potential to remind you of all the people you are connected to and can have a positive influence on.” Participating in a sustainable design approach, Burks repurposed marble and glass from the Italian brand Salvatori, upholding the brand’s style of timeless elegance while giving individuality to each of the humanlike mirrors.

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  Community Baskets, 2020
  Community Baskets, 2020

  Stephen Burks (American, born 1969), designer
  Berea College Student Craft, Berea College, Kentucky, established 1855, maker
  Community Baskets, 2020
  Aluminum and oak
  Courtesy of Berea College Student Craft

  An important practice in Appalachian and Shaker traditions, basketry is one of the oldest forms of design. In making the Community Basket at Berea College, students are taught the basic principles of wood construction, such as color, gradations, treatments, flexibility, and strength, using the traditional composition of oak and aluminum to bend and hold each part together in layers. Using this project as an example, Burks encouraged students to move away from the minimalist manufacturing of craft objects and to instead let their hand show through in their designs. The hand of the artist is what separates craftspeople from mass production; encouraging students to accept this human aspect of design is one of Burks’s most important contributions to the program.

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  Broom Thing Ambient Object, 2020
  Broom Thing Ambient Object, 2020

  Stephen Burks (American, born 1969), designer
  Berea College Student Craft, Berea College, Kentucky, established 1855, maker
  Broom Thing Ambient Object, 2020
  Dyed broomcorn and sugar maple wood
  High Museum of Art, Atlanta, gift of Berea College Student Craft, 2022.74

  Burks’s mentorship within the Berea College Student Craft program was grounded in his ability to innovate traditional crafts to create modern, and sometimes experimental, forms. Berea students trained in the broomcraft workshop were utilizing established methods and yielding the same results. Broom Thing, which Burks created alongside these students, is a radical new expression of a broom as a nonfunctional object that reflects Burks’s early aspirations of becoming a sculptor. The brightly colored, ambient work embodies the transformative power of what is possible in craft when experimentation collides with tradition.

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  Traveler Indoor Armchair with Hood, designed 2015
  Traveler Indoor Armchair with Hood, designed 2015

  Stephen Burks (American, born 1969), designer
  Roche Bobois, France, established 1960, manufacturer
  Traveler Indoor Armchair with Hood, designed 2015
  Epoxy-lacquered steel, leather cords, leather upholstery, and plume-feather fill
  Philadelphia Museum of Art, gift of Roche Bobois, 2016

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  Woven TV Rendering, 2020
  Woven TV Rendering, 2020

  Stephen Burks (American, born 1969), designer
  Stephen Burks Man Made, New York, established 1997, maker
  Woven TV Rendering, 2020
  Shelter in Place project
  Paper
  Collection of the designer

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  Dala Stool, 2012
  Dala Stool, 2012

  Stephen Burks (American, born 1969), designer
  DEDON, Germany, established 1990, manufacturer
  Dala Stool, 2012
  Powder-coated aluminum, high-density polyethylene, and recycled food and drink packaging
  Philadelphia Museum of Art, purchased with funds contributed by Collab: The Group for Modern and Contemporary Design at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2016

  Made from recycled food and drink packaging, the early Dala outdoor furniture collection for DEDON attempted sustainable production and technological advancement in design. Inspired by improvisational floor seating throughout Asia, Dala uplifts artisan communities in the Philippine archipelago, where DEDON has production facilities that employ more than a thousand weavers who produce at the highest levels of artisanship. In a process that Burks developed alongside master weavers, which DEDON has since patented, the expanded aluminum and extruded polyethylene are woven together to create a seat able to withstand years of use and environmental weathering. Most importantly for Burks, artisans are given creative agency through the variable pattern of colored stripes.

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  A Free Man Unisex Loungewear Collection, 2013
  A Free Man Unisex Loungewear Collection, 2013

  Stephen Burks (American, born 1969), designer
  The White Briefs, Sweden, established 2009, manufacturer
  A Free Man Unisex Loungewear Collection, 2013
  Cotton
  Courtesy of The White Briefs

  Patterns communicate a specific language and express a multiplicity of cultures and origins, metaphorically and physically. The patterns displayed on these undergarments are designed to be seen, not hidden by more muted, restrictive clothing. Burks designed A Free Man as a statement about societal gender norms, breaking free from expectations of masculinity, and provocatively proposes undergarments as outerwear. Freedom can be expressed through the material of a piece of clothing, such as loosely fitting cotton, which is universally worn by people of all backgrounds. Design can be inclusive, sustainable, and fun, even for underwear.