Ronald Scliar Sasson

ViTRINE has the pleasure to have a short conversation with award winning furniture designer Ronald Scliar Sasson. For Mr. Scliar Sasson design is the intermediary between life and art, he is a strong advocate that forms, structures and architecture should evoke positive (if not happiness) emotions from the people who see and use them.

Whilst the harmonious forms and material are striking trademarks of Ronald’s works, it is the evocation of the playfulness of some of his furniture that attracted ViTRINE to find out more about the designer and his inspirations.

V: Having observed your award winning furniture, few modern designers could balance the objective of creating aesthetically linear furniture pieces and yet showing the beauty of the wood material. Where do you think you get that insight where few contemporary designers don’t?

RSS: I believe I have always carried this insight with me . Here in Brazil we have a strong tradition in woodcraft. I have always enjoyed playing with the old assembly wood games , the construction and the insight of my projects often come from there . So perhaps  the difference between me and other professionals is that I view furniture in an almost natural way, without too much thinking.

V: Share with us what lead you to your profession? 

RSS: I used to say that profession is not something that we choose but something that we are born with. A good designer, or for better saying a real designer, is born with this insight about life , capacity to view differently about things…he finds  forms and colors where maybe other people don’t . I always knew that I would work with art or something related to it

V: There’s something genuinely endearing (actually childlike) and yet so thought inspiring about the Logical Side Table…what spurred you to come up with that idea?

RSS:This project comes from my old wood games that I used to play with when I was a child , I thought about making a small table by only using simple ways to build it. I particularly love this project , and I got very happy with the news  that I received an award for it.

V: Given all the artistic license and doing away with the care of business concerns, what would you choose to create?

RSS: Let  me see , I always balance these two subjects. In a good design, we have to make something beautiful , something that allows the expression of the soul , but it has to also sell , or responds to the need of the market, or create a new solution or need . It is the most difficult thing in our profession , to make something new , beautiful and well accepted. Maybe the answer of this challenge may only found through experience .

V: In 2014, ViTRINE and 72 Smalldive have chosen the key theme Feeling Good? In your personal opinion what does feeling good means to you?

RSS: Happiness as well is something often out of reach from our expectations in life, but as we live , as we grow up we pick up clues, the simple things are the clues. I recently read a book about architecture from a philosopher called  Alain de Botton . The book “The Architecture of Happiness ” ( 2006) , I would recommend to read by all designers , for  it shows what you asked me how to balance a good architecture and also a good design that evoke happiness. Feeling good can be contributed from the harmony in aesthetic and that is the beauty of my work as a designer. Personally to me, feeling good is doing what I love and spending time with my family as well .

To get in touch with Mr. Sasson, please visit his Facebook page at Ronald Scliar Sasson