Dezeen promotion: Ramy Fischler has been announced as Designer of the Year for Maison&Objet's September 2018 edition, and will exhibit his work in a self-designed space at the fair in Paris.
The Belgian designer, who is based in Paris, has been awarded the title for the next edition of the French Furniture and Decoration Fair – set to take place from 7 to 11 September, 2018.
The fair organisers describe Fischler as a "free spirit" who is strongly influenced by cinema and practices design in the same way a director makes a film.
"Rather than focus on the formal aspects of space or product design, Ramy Fischler prefers to question the value of function: anticipating tomorrow's behaviours, defining the reason and use of each project, visualising the environment where a piece would be effective, these are the preliminary steps in his creative process," said Maison&Objet.
"For Ramy Fischler, design must make sense," the organisers continued. "Fiction and collaborative work are the twin pillars of his process."
"His interior design projects for private residences and restaurants regularly give him the opportunity to design furniture, which he produces himself and shows in galleries," the organisers added.
"He also creates hybrid objects that illustrate his capacity to blur the boundaries between disciplines."
Originally from Belgium, Fischler moved to Paris in 1998. His "taste for experimentation" began when he was studying design at École nationale supérieure de création industrielle (ENSCI) in Paris, where he graduated from in 2004.
He continued to develop this experimental tendancy while working alongside French industrial designer Patrick Jouin, where he explored all avenues of design.
This led him to establish his own studio in 2011, which is where he developed his own approach. Since early 2018 he has been focusing on his work as a scenographer for the opera.
This includes designing the set for a version of Hamlet directed by Cyril Teste, which is expected to debut in December at L'Opéra Comique in Paris.
He is also working on an exhibition titled L'Intelligence de la Main for the Bettencourt Schueller Foundation, as part of the Homo Faber exhibition exploring the notion of "know-how", which opens in September at the Giorgio Cini Foundation in Venice.
Maison&Objet names a designer of the year for both the January and September fairs. Each edition brings together around 3,000 brands, and more than 90,000 visitors.
The chosen winners are typically in keeping with the specific focuses of each of the two shows – a product or industrial designer for January, and a designer more recognised for their work in interiors for September.
At the fair, the Designer of the Year showcases their work in a space entirely designed by and dedicated to them.
The most recent recipient was Scandinavian designer Cecilie Manz, who was awarded the accolade thanks to her "advocate of warm minimalism."
Other winners include interior architect Tristan Auer, London designer Ilse Crawford, French designer Pierre Charpin and Japanese studio Nendo.