London-based designer and artist Simone Brewster (born 1983 in London) creates bold sculptural furniture and jewelry as part of her experimental and conceptual practice straddling art, architecture, and design. Brewster obtained her Bachelor's in Architecture at The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London in 2003. With a burgeoning interest in the relationship between the body, space, and the voids in between, Brewster went on to study Design Products at the Royal College of Art in London, graduating in 2007 with an exhibition in Hyde Park. While Brewster enjoyed learning about the foundational principles of architecture and three-dimensional forms in her Bachelor’s, she was able to explore the potential of design and manufacturing in her Masters that ultimately led her on a path away from architecture.
After graduating, Brewster worked shortly for both Michael Anastassiades and Martino Gamper in 2008. She notes that this period was the main inspiration for the establishment of her own studio (in 2008) as well as the confidence and insight to start teaching at some of London's top Universities - including London College of Fashion - for several years. While Brewster’s studio has had various locations in London since its inception, the most unique being Somerset House facing the River Thames and Southbank, it is currently based in north-west London.
Brewster defines her work as "intimate architectures" stating: “As part of my process I am very much aware of the materials I use and how these can be combined and blended to create harmonious sculptural objects with character.” Brewster draws references from the certain conflicts, collisions, and syntheses between the masculine and feminine; form and function versus decoration; man-made versus the natural; and geometric versus organic. Brewster explains, “In each of these oppositions we find a boundary. As we approach this boundary, the blurring of each certainty finds a new truth. This is the landscape in which my work lives and the interconnected network of forms that inspires the creation of my world.” Prime examples include Supermodel 01, a chair that explores austerity and purity through simple geometric forms, and the Domestic Servants Collection, in which Brewster explores the form of the female body through household functional objects.
Brewster’s work has been exhibited both domestically and internationally, most notably her Negress table and Mammy lounge chair at the British Embassy during the London 2012 Olympic Games as an example of British Design Talent and at The Royal College of Art’s 175 Year Anniversary Exhibition. Brewster regularly speaks about contemporary design, educating others on the potential applications of architectural principals across the scale and spectrum of three-dimensional design.
