At this point in his career, the renowned Spanish designer Jaime Hayon needs little introduction. He doesn’t have to think about the object he would like to design next – people from all sorts of industries, from art to pharmaceuticals, come to his small studio in Valencia to ask him to design objects for them. Hayon-designed objects are whimsical and highly collectible, existing in that bizarre and beautiful intersection of art and design.
We caught up with him one sunny afternoon during Singapore Design Week and asked him to share the secrets to his success.
I was taught in school to work for the industry and basically become anonymous. But when I graduated, there were no jobs. The only way to make it is to do your own thing. So I made installations and put them in a gallery. It turned out they liked my style, and suddenly here I am in the field between art and design.
I’ve realised that there are no categories, only concepts. You have to have your own idea. When you have ideas, you can do whatever you want – it’s about applying that concept to different disciplines.
We’re in the perfect moment to be a hybrid. We’re in this generation where people can – or sometimes they have to – mix disciplines to become interesting. Why do you have star chefs or starchitects? It’s because they have started to see their professions from another angle.
The surreal is relevant for me – it’s like a third eye. Like, when I saw three circles on a watch dial, I saw a monkey face; I didn’t see the technical side of the watch. I started the design from there.
I was fascinated by the roundtable seating with attached seats in a Singapore hawker centre the other day. Imagine taking that and making it for a three-star Michelin restaurant, with leather seats and premium materials.
It’s a waste of time to think about success – it’s something you have to throw away, actually. If not, you don’t progress. You get stuck. And the worst thing you can do in your life is get stuck. You always have to be curious.
I live in this very old house, built at the start of the 20th century. I bought it completely broken, restored it and filled it with things I love from around the world. It has a courtyard with palm trees and it is very simple, almost minimal, compared to what I’ve created. I need peace when I come home.
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