Biography
TOM DIXON 1959, Sfax, Tunisia – lives and works in London, United Kingdom
Tom Dixon is one of the most influential contemporary designers and is known for his experimental, exploratory approach, which combines innovative ideas, craftsmanship, and industrial materials. His work exemplifies a design philosophy that, since the 1980s, has blurred the boundaries between do-it-yourself aesthetics, post-industrial design, and British counterculture.
Raised in the United Kingdom, he initially pursued a musical career as a bassist in the band Funkapolitan, but turned to design after a motorcycle accident. As a self-taught designer, he developed a practice of experimental welding and metalworking that was strongly influenced by the improvisational culture of punk as well as the aesthetics of recycling.
In the 1980s, he began assembling chairs from found materials in his London studio. Through Carla Sozzani, the editor-in-chief of Italian Vogue, Dixon met Giulio Cappellini, who recognized the potential of these sculptural furniture pieces for mass production, “without, however, destroying the poetic aura of these objects.”
Dixon achieved his international breakthrough in 1991 with the S-Chair, produced by Cappellini, a landmark of contemporary design that can now be found in the permanent collections of major international museums, from the Milan Triennale to MoMA in New York. Equally iconic is the ‘Pylon’ Chair, produced by Cappellini starting in 1992, which has been auctioned at Quittenbaum on several occasions—often as part of significant private design collections.
Dixon has worked for the most renowned furniture companies and luxury brands such as Driade, Moroso, and Veuve Clicquot, as well as fashion labels like Jean Paul Gaultier, Ralph Lauren, and many others. In 1998, he was appointed Creative Director of the Habitat chain.
In 2002, he founded his own brand, Tom Dixon, continuing his material-based research and experimentation: Among his best-known lighting creations are the “Copper Shade,” “Beat,” and “Melt.” For example, the “Flame Cut Series” was produced in a small series in 2008; this furniture series is cut from steel—much like in the construction of submarines—thus guaranteeing a lifespan of centuries.
