Miami,​ nun-is.us
Nun​ ​is​ ​the​ ​collaborative​ ​design​ ​practice​ ​of artists and designers​ ​Jessica​ ​Martin​ ​and​ ​Deon​ ​Rubi.​ ​​Their work, which we discovered earlier this year, often mixes elemental materials, like glass, metal, and stone, with a contemporary, Miami-inflected palette. 

What​ ​is​ ​American​ ​design​ ​to​ ​you,​ ​and​ ​what​ ​excites​ ​you​ ​about​ ​it? 

Deon:​ ​I​ ​think​ ​design​ ​in​ ​general​ ​is​ ​an​ ​opportunity​ ​for​ ​dissent,​ ​to​ ​stray​ ​away​ ​from​ ​the​ ​known. American​ ​design​ ​is​ ​as​ ​diverse​ ​as​ ​America​ ​itself,​ ​and​ ​is​ ​driven​ ​by​ ​process​ ​and​ ​progress, which​ ​is​ ​so​ ​subjective.​ ​I​ ​think​ ​American​ ​design​ ​can​ ​be​ ​whatever​ ​it​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​be.​ ​It’s exciting​ ​to​ ​work​ ​in​ ​design​ ​in​ ​America,​ ​the​ ​hub​ ​of​ ​trends​ ​and​ ​consumerism,​ ​and constantly​ ​try​ ​to​ ​break​ ​that​ ​down​ ​while​ ​actively​ ​participating​ ​in​ ​it.

Jessica:​ ​It’s​ ​hard​ ​to​ ​talk​ ​about​ ​American​ ​design​ ​without​ ​the​ ​rise​ ​of​ ​industrial​ ​manufacturing, or​ ​how​ ​the speed​ ​of​ ​urbanization​ ​shaped​ ​patterns​ ​of​ ​consumption. It​ ​made​ ​room​ ​for diverse​ ​markets​ ​and​ ​broadened​ ​design​ ​to​ ​a​ ​larger​ ​audience.​ ​In​ ​some​ ​regard,​ ​I​ ​don’t fully​ ​consider​ ​myself​ ​an​ ​American​ ​designer,​ ​and​ ​I​ ​think​ ​that’s​ ​what​ ​interesting. Culturally,​ ​it’s​ ​a​ ​place​ ​that​ ​isn’t​ ​hindered​ ​by​ ​its​ ​past,​ ​which​ ​in​ ​many​ ​ways​ ​is​ ​what makes​ ​it​ ​powerful.

What​ ​are​ ​your​ ​plans​ ​and​ ​highlights​ ​for​ ​the​ ​upcoming​ ​year? 

Deon​:​ ​Together, we ​are​ ​curating​ ​a​ ​group​ ​show​ ​for​ ​this​ ​coming​ ​Art​ ​Basel,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​working​ ​on​ ​a​ ​series of​ ​modular​ ​furniture​ ​pieces​ ​commissioned​ ​for​ ​a​ ​mobile​ ​gallery​ ​space. I​ ​have​ ​a​ ​solo​ ​show​ ​in​ ​February​ ​2018​ ​with​ ​Central​ ​Fine​ ​Gallery,​ ​where​ ​I​ ​will​ ​be showing​ ​new​ ​work​ ​that​ ​leans​ ​more​ ​towards​ ​​art,​ ​with​ ​painting​s ​and sculptures.​ ​I​ ​am​ ​also​ ​starting​ ​a​ ​consulting​ ​business.​ ​

Jessica​:​ ​Recently,​ ​I’ve​ ​found​ ​myself​ ​diving​ ​more​ ​into​ ​architecture,​ ​thinking​ ​about​ ​design​ ​on a​ ​larger​ ​scale.​ ​I​ ​started​ ​working​ ​on​ ​on​ ​a​ ​series​ ​of​ ​stone​ ​objects​ ​that​​ ​​use​ ​the​ ​tension​ ​and​ ​weight​ ​of​ ​the​ ​material​ ​as​ ​a way​ ​of​ ​creating​ ​structure.​ ​The​ ​pieces​ ​are​ ​a​ ​study​ ​in​ ​iteration,​ ​and​ ​using​ ​remnants​ ​of stone,​ ​with all​ ​the​ ​limitations​ ​of​ ​their​ ​shapes,​ ​to​ ​create​ ​variation.​ ​I’m expanding​ ​these​ ​already made​ ​objects​ ​and​ ​drawings​ ​into​ ​a​ ​larger​ ​body​ ​of​ ​work,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​continuing​ ​an ongoing​ ​series​ ​of​ ​large​-scale​ ​paintings.

What​ ​inspires or informs​ ​your​ ​work​ ​in​ ​general? 

Most​ ​of​ ​our​ ​inspiration​ ​comes​ ​from​ ​a​ ​place​ ​outside​ ​of​ ​design​ ​—​ ​mechanics, software,​ ​the​ ​Internet.​ ​The​ ​abundance​ ​of​ ​information,​ ​speculation,​ ​the​ ​materiality​ ​of new​ ​technologies,​ ​​elasticity​ ​as​ ​adaptation,​ ​and​ ​also​ ​DIY.​ ​All​ ​of these​ ​things​ ​come​ ​together to​ ​form​ ​a​ ​hybrid​ ​of​ ​analog-techno​ ​objects​ ​that​ ​function​ ​in​ ​a​ ​way​ ​that’s​ ​more​ ​inspired​ ​by science​ ​than​ ​aesthetics.

Jessica Martin

Deon Rubi