Inna Pedan

Furniture maker

©Bart Buro

©Inna Pedan

©Bart Buro

The shape maker

Inna is a professional industrial designer
She follows the values of the traditional Kharkiv school of design
She is passionate about natural materials and working with form

Inna Pedan was destined to work with shapes. A student of renowned Kharkiv artist and designer Ihor Ostapenko, she started her own studio right after graduating from Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts in 2003. A true master of a form, Inna is an innovator of furniture design and creates objects that reflect her inner personality. With an abundance of original shapes and unconventional approaches, Inna’s works combine utilitarian aesthetics with philosophical undertones that are intertwined in lines and curves. Her objects are characterised by a distinct plasticity and constant shape explorations. She is also active in the teaching field being a lecturer at her Kharkiv alma mater, as well as working with children aged from 6 to 15 years in her studio.

Interview

©Bart Buro

©Bart Buro

What do you like most about your profession?: I am really fond of developing concepts for future objects. Only after this part of the process, do I start working on the form and select the material. The implementation of ideas is a very exciting and creative part as the shape of the object can change in the process.
How has being from Kharkiv influenced your craft?: Kharkiv is a leading place in Ukrainian design, which has directly inspired my creative practice on one hand and educational activity on the other. I am both the heir of the traditional values of the local school of design and an innovator-practitioner.
How would you describe a perfect object?: First of all, it would have an ideal form. Secondly, there should be an aesthetic quality. Finally, the slow process also contributes to the creation of a “perfect object”. It requires a consistent learning as well as working with patience and, of course, with pleasure.
What triggered the start of your artisan journey?: It was back in the 7th grade of school when I heard the word “design” for the first time. Inside, I imagined it as the science of beauty. Soon afterwards, my teacher suggested I apply for an art college. That’s how it all started and my passion only grew stronger when I started university.

Inna Pedan is a master artisan: she began her career in 2001 and she started teaching in 2009