- Art & Design
Straightforward, sensitive, and interdisciplinary: designer and craftsman Lukas Cober finds it important that his work possesses all three of these qualities. His objects result from an interplay between form and material, roughness and detail. Several galleries scattered in multiple countries praise his creations and assist him on his path. Imagicasa dissected his philosophy and took a closer look at this high-profile portfolio.
Whether to believe in fate, we do not know. What is clear, however, is that Lukas Cober's life has been characterised from the start by intersections and the convergence of multiples. Indeed, he was born in 1989 in Aachen, a city where Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany meet. Later, Cober's eponymous studio would have a corresponding interdisciplinarity, as his objects unite the roughness of a wide range of materials with a timeless finesse. Architecturally tinged and with an oversized finish, his objects inhabit a category of their own. Studies in product design in both Maastricht and Lisbon allowed him to acquire in-depth craft knowledge and develop an essential part of his creative identity. He spent his first years in the field as the assistant to designer Valentin Loellmann, until he took the step to start his own studio in 2018. That decision was a true turning point, as since then he has been able to focus exclusively on his own work, and the impressive collections he has released since then are the best proof of that. Like this portfolio, there are no two. His education and personal background have allowed him to blossom into a skilled craftsman with a clearly formed artistic perspective. 
A blissful quest with ever-changing discoveries
A love of design was right next to his cradle, so to speak. With an art teacher as his mother and a doctor with a keen eye for architecture and interior design as his father, he grew up in a nest where a pure, minimalist style was a given. In addition, Cober quickly cultivated his interest in handicrafts, so all that followed made sense. A fascination with beautiful, hand-made objects felt like coming home. In his artistic process, he gives utmost priority to the characteristics of the material in question and the different treatments it tolerates. Always wanting to innovate and explore unknown possibilities, the work in his studio emerges as a blissful quest with ever-changing discoveries. All those who take in the objects clearly experience a profound passion behind them. It is therefore hardly surprising that Cober always works from his own philosophy. He generally bases his choices on the idea that each piece should contain an intrinsic purity and not shy away from an uninhibited form and materiality that borders on the brutal. In this way, the designer ensures that his work carries a certain message, whether clearly expressed or hidden, and combines it with a clear-cut aesthetic. 
Instead of simply contributing to a world filled with superficial objects, Cober has declared it its mission to make only creations with soul. Objects that truly matter and are an expression of heartfelt passion for design: it should be the universal standard. On top of that, he rejoices every day in the freedom he enjoys, which only increases his dedication to his craft exponentially. Transient trends the designer lets pass without temptation, because for him there is no value in pursuing something that is by definition temporary. Another reason for this is the authenticity with which timeless work provides insight into his eye for beauty. With an inner voice that relentlessly gets the word out, he gives form to something beyond the tangible. Throughout the portfolio, certain elements therefore recur invariably. A minimal yet handmade character, personal touches, and sculptural lines form the common core shared by all the pieces. With exceptionally fluid movements, volumes are created that often have undulating contours. Each design is in fact a symbiosis of a dominant and an underlying dimension; one full of energy, the other marked by peaceful calm.
You can read more in the summer 2023 edition of Imagicasa Magazine.
Header image: Photography by Alexander Popelier
Images 2 - 3: Photography by Alexander Popelier
Image 4: Photography by Ligia Poplawska
Image 5: Photography by Ligia Poplawska
Text by Cara Jacobs