Cincinnati, Ohio, claybrown.online
Ohio designer and recent grad Clay Brown cut his teeth working for Sam Stewart, and it shows — though his work certainly has its own, more formally enigmatic and linear language, it strikes the same charismatic balance between playful approachability and high sophistication, where something can be inspired by (in Brown’s case) Spongebob or Spider-Man but still feel at home in a gallery setting. Lately Brown has been working more with textiles, and we’re curious to see where that will lead. You can shop two of Brown’s current pieces through our Sight Unseen Collection.

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

The term ‘American Design’ instantly makes me think of Apple products and McDonalds. On a more personal level, my exposure to American design has meant working intimately with designers, craftsmen, and skilled fabricators. It’s awesome to be in this little renaissance of handcraft and small-scale design practices.

What are your plans and highlights for the upcoming year? 

Since finishing my undergrad in May I’ve been taking on commission jobs as they come, always a bit unsure of what might be next, which has been very fun. The new year is super open for me so I’m excited to make time to develop plenty of new work. I’ve been looking into making custom audio equipment and would love to start making small-scale objects. I’m teaching a couple of woodworking classes at a local nonprofit this spring, which I’m excited about. Very open to whatever might come next!

What inspires or informs your work in general?

My work usually comes from a combination of historic imagery and things I grew up seeing in the 2000s. I love reading fiction and watching movies for inspiration. I rewatched Ridley Scott’s Alien recently and am always in awe of H.R. Giger’s visual world-building.