Backstage with
Artist / Designer
Ewan Lamm
WE ARE HONORED TO BE JOINED BY EWAN LAMM, A DESIGNER WHOSE WORK SEAMLESSLY BRIDGES CULTURAL NARRATIVES, MATERIAL STORYTELLING, AND CONTEMPORARY AESTHETICS. WITH A BACKGROUND THAT SPANS HONG KONG, LONDON, AND NOW MADRID, EWAN BRINGS A UNIQUE GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE TO FURNITURE AND SPATIAL DESIGN. FROM HIS EARLY FASCINATION WITH OBJECTS AND SPACES TO FOUNDING HIS OWN STUDIO, ULTRAMAR, HIS JOURNEY IS A TESTAMENT TO THE POWER OF CROSS-CULTURAL INFLUENCE AND ARTISTIC CURIOSITY. TODAY, WE’LL DIVE INTO HIS INSPIRATIONS, PHILOSOPHIES, AND VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF DESIGN. EWAN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE!
CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHAT LED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN DESIGN?
I WAS BORN IN HONG KONG, LATER MOVED TO LONDON AS A YOUNG ADULT, AND RECENTLY RELOCATED TO MADRID. IN A WAY, I FEEL LIKE A NOMAD ! — CONSTANTLY ADAPTING TO DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS AND ABSORBING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. THIS MIXTURE OF CULTURES HAS UNDOUBTEDLY SHAPED MY APPROACH TO DESIGN, GIVING ME A FLUID MINDSET THAT ALLOWS ME TO EXPLORE BEYOND ONE SINGULAR CONTEXT.
MY JOURNEY INTO DESIGN WAS DRIVEN BY AN INNATE CURIOSITY ABOUT HOW OBJECTS AND SPACES SHAPE OUR EMOTIONS AND INTERACTIONS. AS A CHILD, I WAS OBSESSED WITH ARRANGING AND PERSONALIZING MY OWN SPACE, WHETHER IT WAS MY BEDROOM OR MY COLLECTION OF SMALL OBJECTS. I LOVED BEAUTIFUL THINGS AND DESIGNS (VERY MUCH INFLUENCED BY MY MOTHER)—CLOTHING, TRINKETS, RANDOM FINDS FROM ANTIQUE MARKETS, FURNISHING ITEMS—AND IF I COULDN’T AFFORD SOMETHING, WHICH WAS MOST OF THE TIME, I WOULD TRY AND FIND A WAY TO MAKE MY VERSION OF IT. THAT CREATIVE INSTINCT, THE DESIRE TO CRAFT AND SHAPE MY SURROUNDINGS, HAS BEEN WITH ME FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER.
STUDYING AT RAVENSBOURNE UNIVERSITY IN LONDON SOLIDIFIED MY PASSION FOR FURNITURE DESIGN, PROVIDING ME WITH THE TOOLS TO REFINE MY IDEAS AND BRING THEM TO LIFE. FROM THERE, I FORTUNATELY HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITIES TO COLLABORATE WITH RENOWNED BRANDS SUCH AS ROLL & HILL, DRIADE, STUDIO TWENTY SEVEN MIAMI DESIGN DISTRICT AND FRENCH HOUSE MAISON PHELIPPEAU THROUGH MY WORK EXPERIENCE AT BOHINC STUDIO BY LARA BOHINC. EACH EXPERIENCE ADDED NEW LAYERS TO MY DESIGN KNOWLEDGE.
FOUNDING MY OWN STUDIO, ULTRAMAR, FELT LIKE A NATURAL NEXT STEP—A SPACE WHERE I COULD FULLY EXPLORE MY OWN CREATIVE VISION AND CONTINUE BRIDGING DIFFERENT CULTURAL INFLUENCES IN A WAY THAT FEELS CONTEMPORARY AND PERSONAL.
“A SPACE WHERE I COULD FULLY EXPLORE”
HOW HAS YOUR HONG KONG-BRITISH HERITAGE INFLUENCED YOUR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY?
I FEEL LIKE MY TWO CULTURAL IDENTITIES ARE CONSTANTLY IN CONFLICT AS I FEEL LIKE I DON’T FULLY FIT INTO EITHER ONE COMPLETELY. THAT BEING SAID, I VIEW THIS AS A POWERFUL EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I LEARNED TO STEP BACK AND SEE THINGS WITH GREATER CLARITY AND LESS BIAS WHILE I AM TRYING TO EXPLORE THIS IN-BETWEENESS IN MY CREATIONS. I’M DRAWN TO A SENSE OF BALANCE—BETWEEN MINIMALISM AND WARMTH, TRADITION AND MODERNITY, EAST AND WEST. THE COEXISTENCE OF EASTERN AND WESTERN AESTHETICS HAS GIVEN ME AN APPRECIATION FOR JUXTAPOSITION, SUBTLE DETAILING, AND MATERIAL STORYTELLING. THIS PERSPECTIVE ALLOWS ME TO NAVIGATE BETWEEN DIFFERENT CULTURES AND LEARN MORE OF THEIR BEAUTY AND INFUSING IT INTO MY DESIGNS. THAT BEING SAID, IT’S A CHALLENGING TASK, AND I’M STILL REFINING THIS BALANCE, DESIGN BY DESIGN.
HOW DID YOUR TIME AT RAVENSBOURNE UNIVERSITY SHAPE YOUR APPROACH TO DESIGN?
RAVENSBOURNE PROVIDED A STRONG FOUNDATION IN BOTH CONCEPTUAL THINKING AND PRACTICAL EXECUTION. THE EMPHASIS ON DIGITAL FABRICATION AND HANDS-ON PROTOTYPING WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN REFINING MY APPROACH TO MATERIALITY AND FORM. I HAD SOME REALLY AMAZING LECTURERS NAMELY SAM JOHNSON AND ANDREW MARSH WHO SUPPORTED ME TO EXPLORE MORE ABSTRACT AND EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHES. I ALSO APPRECIATED THE INDUSTRY-FOCUSED NATURE OF THE COURSE, WHICH PREPARED ME TO NAVIGATE THE COMMERCIAL SIDE OF DESIGN WHILE STILL PUSHING CREATIVE BOUNDARIES.
“I’M FASCINATED BY OBJECTS”
YOUR DESIGNS OFTEN EXPLORE THEMES OF CULTURE AND SPIRITUALITY. WHAT SPARKED THIS INTEREST?
I’M FASCINATED BY OBJECTS THAT CARRY MEANING BEYOND FUNCTION. I’VE ALWAYS BEEN DRAWN TO STORIES, MYTHS, AND LORE—HOW THEY SHAPE DIFFERENT CULTURES, PHILOSOPHIES, AND WAYS OF THINKING. THESE NARRATIVES CAPTIVATE ME BECAUSE THEY REVEAL OUR SHARED HUMAN EXPERIENCES, BRIDGING DISTANCES BETWEEN PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. AT THE CORE, WE’RE NOT SO DIFFERENT; WE’RE ALL HUMAN, REGARDLESS OF RACE OR IDENTITY THROUGH MY DESIGNS, I HOPE TO EVOKE CURIOSITY AND ENCOURAGE A DEEPER APPRECIATION FOR CULTURAL CONNECTIONS.
MY INTEREST IN CULTURAL NARRATIVES COMES FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE OF LIVING BETWEEN CULTURES AND CONSTANTLY NAVIGATING THAT IN-BETWEEN SPACE. SPIRITUALITY, IN A BROADER SENSE, IS ABOUT CONNECTION—TO NATURE, TO EMOTIONS, TO THE UNSEEN HARMONY IN OUR SURROUNDINGS. THIS PERSPECTIVE INFLUENCES MY WORK THROUGH A PURSUIT OF BALANCE, SENSORY ENGAGEMENT, AND A FEELING OF CALM. I AIM TO CREATE OBJECTS THAT MAKE PEOPLE FEEL GROUNDED, SAFE, AND AT EASE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE EVERYONE DESERVES THAT SENSE OF COMFORT.
ON ANOTHER NOTE, GROWING UP IN HONG KONG, I SAW HOW YOUNGER GENERATIONS, INCLUDING MYSELF AT ONE POINT, DISMISSED TRADITIONAL AESTHETICS AS OUTDATED OR TACKY. IN HINDSIGHT, I FIND THIS PERCEPTION UNFORTUNATE, AS THERE IS SO MUCH RICHNESS IN THESE TRADITIONS. MY GOAL IS TO MERGE CULTURAL HERITAGE WITH CONTEMPORARY DESIGN, BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO THESE TRADITIONS AND SHIFTING THE WAY PEOPLE VIEW ASIAN CULTURES. I AM AWARE OF HOW OUTDATED SOME WESTERN PERSPECTIVES ON ASIA CAN BE—OFTEN FOCUSED ON THE PAST RATHER THAN THE PRESENT. WITH MY MIXED BACKGROUND, I FEEL BOTH THE RESPONSIBILITY AND PRIVILEGE TO CHALLENGE THESE PERCEPTIONS AND PRESENT A MODERN, NUANCED VISION OF ASIAN DESIGN AND IDENTITY THROUGH MY WORK. MY WORK STRIVES TO PLAY A ROLE IN THIS CONVERSATION BY BLENDING CULTURAL AUTHENTICITY WITH A FORWARD-THINKING PERSPECTIVE, BRIDGING BOTH PAST AND PRESENT IN A WAY THAT FEELS RELEVANT TODAY.
“I APPROACH CULTURAL NARRATIVES”
HOW DO YOU RESEARCH AND INCORPORATE DIVERSE CULTURAL NARRATIVES INTO YOUR WORK?
I APPROACH CULTURAL NARRATIVES WITH A MIX OF ACADEMIC RESEARCH, PERSONAL EXPLORATION/EXPERIENCE, AND DIRECT ENGAGEMENT WITH CRAFTSPEOPLE. RATHER THAN BORROWING AESTHETICS, I AIM TO UNDERSTAND THE DEEPER PHILOSOPHY BEHIND CERTAIN TRADITIONS AND REINTERPRET THEM IN A CONTEMPORARY CONTEXT. MATERIAL CHOICES, FORMS, AND CONSTRUCTION METHODS ALL PLAY A ROLE IN CONVEYING THESE NARRATIVES SUBTLY AND RESPECTFULLY.
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND FOUNDING YOUR STUDIO, ULTRAMAR?
I WANTED TO ESTABLISH A SPACE WHERE I COULD FULLY EXPLORE MY OWN CREATIVE LANGUAGE. ULTRAMAR IS A PLATFORM FOR EXPERIMENTATION—WHERE I CAN MERGE ARTISTIC EXPRESSION WITH FUNCTIONAL DESIGN. THE NAME ITSELF MEANS ‘’BEYOND THE SEA’’, REFLECTING THE IDEA OF VENTURING BEYOND THE FAMILIAR, EMBRACING CROSS-CULTURAL INFLUENCES AND NEW MATERIAL POSSIBILITIES.MORE THAN JUST A DESIGN STUDIO, I SEE ULTRAMAR AS A MEDIUM TO SPARK CURIOSITY—ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT CULTURES AND, ULTIMATELY, FOSTERING A DEEPER SENSE OF CONNECTION BETWEEN THEM.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE FEEL OR EXPERIENCE WHEN ENGAGING WITH YOUR FURNITURE PIECES?
I WANT MY WORK TO EVOKE A SENSE OF CALM, CURIOSITY, AND CONNECTION. WHETHER IT’S THE TACTILITY OF A SURFACE, THE WEIGHT OF A MATERIAL, OR THE INTERPLAY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW,, I WANT PEOPLE TO ENGAGE WITH MY PIECES BEYOND THEIR FUNCTION—TO ASK QUESTIONS, TO EXPLORE, AND TO INTERPRET THEIR OWN NARRATIVES.
I BELIEVE A HOME SHOULD FEEL WARM AND SOOTHING, A TRUE HAVEN FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD. FURNITURE PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN SHAPING THAT ATMOSPHERE, AND MY GOAL IS TO CREATE PIECES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO A SENSE OF COMFORT, SERENITY, AND BELONGING.
“MATERIALS THAT DEVELOP A PATINA, MATURE OVER TIME AND EVOLVE WITH USE”
ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC MATERIALS OR TECHNIQUES YOU LOVE WORKING WITH?
AS A YOUNG DESIGNER, I’M EAGER TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT MEDIA AND EXPAND MY MATERIAL VOCABULARY. I’M PARTICULARLY DRAWN TO NATURAL MATERIALS LIKE WOOD, STONE, AND METAL—MATERIALS THAT DEVELOP A PATINA, MATURE OVER TIME AND EVOLVE WITH USE, TELLING THEIR OWN STORIES. I HAVE A DEEP APPRECIATION FOR TRADITIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP AND TECHNIQUES, BUT I ALSO ENJOY REINTERPRETING THEM THROUGH A CONTEMPORARY LENS. EXPERIMENTING WITH INNOVATIVE FINISHES AND PROCESSES IS AN EXCITING PART OF MY PRACTICE, ALLOWING ME TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY. BUT I AM DEFINITELY LEANING MORE AND MORE AS I GO WHICH IS EXCITING AND FULFILLING.
WHAT ARE SOME DREAM PROJECTS OR COLLABORATIONS YOU’D LOVE TO WORK ON?
I’D LOVE TO COLLABORATE WITH ARTISANS FROM DIFFERENT CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS TO CREATE A COLLECTION THAT BRIDGES TRADITIONAL CRAFT WITH CONTEMPORARY DESIGN AS I FURTHER GROW AS A DESIGNER. WORKING ON LARGE-SCALE INSTALLATIONS OR PUBLIC FURNITURE PROJECTS THAT ENGAGE WITH ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN SPACES IS ALSO SOMETHING I ASPIRE TO. ADDITIONALLY, DESIGNING FOR A BRAND THAT VALUES STORYTELLING AND MATERIAL INNOVATION WOULD BE AN EXCITING CHALLENGE.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR DESIGN PRACTICE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?
FIVE YEARS FEELS LIKE A LONG TIME TO PREDICT (HAHA). I GUESS I JUST WANT TO CARRY ON CREATING PIECES THAT EXCITE BOTH MYSELF AND OTHERS. I’D LOVE TO ESTABLISH A STRONGER PRESENCE IN BOTH EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN MARKETS, BRINGING ASIAN NARRATIVES FURTHER INTO THE WESTERN WORLD WHILE CONTINUING TO EXHIBIT AT MAJOR DESIGN EVENTS. COLLABORATIONS WITH GALLERIES, BRANDS, AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS WILL BE KEY IN SHAPING THE STUDIO’S DIRECTION, ALLOWING ME TO EXPAND MY CREATIVE LANGUAGE AND REACH NEW AUDIENCES.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO EMERGING DESIGNERS WHO WANT TO CARVE THEIR OWN PATH IN THE INDUSTRY?
I DON’T KNOW IF I’M IN A POSITION TO GIVE ADVICE, AS I’M STILL FIGURING THINGS OUT MYSELF. BUT IF ANYTHING, I’D SAY—STAY CURIOUS AND KEEP REFINING YOUR PERSPECTIVE. I KNOW I AM, AND I BELIEVE IT’S A LIFELONG JOURNEY. —YOUR UNIQUE VOICE IS YOUR GREATEST ASSET, SO CREATE WITH INTENTION AND HAVE GENUINE STORIES BEHIND YOUR WORK. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, DON’T BE AFRAID TO TAKE RISKS AND MAKE THINGS THAT TRULY EXCITE YOU, EVEN IF THEY DON’T FIT INTO CONVENTIONAL CATEGORIES — BECAUSE, FOR ME, EXCITEMENT IS EVERYTHING.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO USE URBAN LANDSCAPES, WHAT ATTRACTS YOU TO THESE SURREALISTIC FORMS?
I AM DRAWN TO URBAN LANDSCAPES BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE A RICH SOURCE OF INSPIRATION THROUGH THEIR COMPLEXITY AND DYNAMISM. THE SURREALISTIC FORMS IN MY WORK OFTEN STEM FROM MY DESIRE TO REINTERPRET THE MUNDANE AND FAMILIAR IN UNEXPECTED WAYS, CREATING PIECES THAT EVOKE CURIOSITY AND WONDER. THIS APPROACH ALLOWS ME TO BLEND THE ARCHITECTURAL WITH THE FANTASTICAL, RESULTING IN TRULY UNIQUE AND IMAGINATIVE DESIGNS.
EWAN, IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE EXPLORING YOUR CREATIVE JOURNEY, FROM YOUR EARLY INFLUENCES TO YOUR VISION FOR ULTRAMAR AND BEYOND. YOUR ABILITY TO BLEND CULTURAL HERITAGE WITH CONTEMPORARY DESIGN IS TRULY INSPIRING, AND WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE HOW YOUR WORK CONTINUES TO EVOLVE. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR INSIGHTS WITH US TODAY. TO OUR LISTENERS, BE SURE TO FOLLOW EWAN’S WORK AND KEEP AN EYE ON HIS UPCOMING PROJECTS. AND AS ALWAYS, STAY CONNECTED WITH LO CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY FOR MORE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE LEADING VOICES IN ART AND DESIGN. UNTIL NEXT TIME!
