Detroit-based Nina Cho has been named the recipient of the 6th Annual American Design Honors by WantedDesign. The Seoul-born, California-raised artist and designer, who graduated from South Korea’s Hongik University, maintains a portfolio of sculptural work that echoes Eastern design principles. Cho’s designs include blown glass fixtures, wall mirrors, tables, and chairs.
“Nina’s curiosity is born from conflicting worlds, juxtaposed,” says Jerry Helling, president and creative director of Bernhardt Design. “It is in the negative space between them that she has found her aesthetic. As a part of the creative community in Detroit, a city in constant evolution, Nina brings a new and refreshing perspective to American design.”
WantedDesign cofounders Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat add: “Nina’s work is a beautiful representation of the diversity and originality of the American emerging design scene. In addition to her excellent design skills, she has a unique sensibility and personality. We love her integration of a very subtle color palette, and the ‘graphic’ approach she takes to her structural pieces. She overall imposes a strong design voice in a very delicate and pure way, mixing curiosity and poetry, storytelling and precision.”
WantedDesign and Bernhardt Design launched American Design Honors in 2015 to celebrate young designers and excellence in creative design and entrepreneurial ability.