Šimon Kern

Šimon (Simon) Kern is a Slovak designer and sculptor who has long been based in Prague. Education: Technical University in Zvolen — bachelor’s degree, interior architecture (2009–2013); placements at the Institute of Design Orihuela, Murcia, Spain (2012) and the College of Design Ljubljana, Slovenia (2013); Faculty of Art and Design, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem — master’s degree, interior and furniture design (2013–2016); Academy of Arts in Banská Bystrica — master’s degree, sculpture (2021–2023), with a placement at ISBA Besançon, France (2022–2023); doctoral studies at the same school since 2025. Before studying design he completed a year of mathematics at Comenius University in Bratislava (2008).

Practice: Domenica Interier, Žilina — furniture and interior designer (2012–2014), Michael Sodeau Studio, London — internship (2014), Andy Martin / Superfutures, London — junior architectural designer (2015), A Atelier, Prague — junior architect (2016), Diamond Schmitt Architects, Toronto — intermediate architect (2017–2018); his own Šimon Kern Studio in Prague (2015–2023).

Work and materials: sustainable design and experimental materials — his best-known work is the Beleaf chair, whose seat is made of fallen leaves bound with a bioresin made from used cooking oil on a tubular steel frame; the seat is fully biodegradable. He also works with recycled PET (in cooperation with the registered institute PET-MAT) and with light installations (the Ping Pung series), and in recent years with spatial works in public space.

Awards: Lexus Design Award 2016 — finalist (Beleaf); PETA Vegan Homeware Award London 2017 — Innovation Prize (Beleaf); Staged Design Award Dresden 2017 — jury prize (Beleaf); Big See Design Award Ljubljana 2018 — winner in the furniture category (Beleaf); Jindřich Halabala Prize 2018 — Plastia Award (Beleaf); Slovak Design Prize 2015 — award for experimental design (Hangover Hanger / the F4SK collection); Werk Design Competition 2015 — honourable mention (Onion Coatrack); DMY Awards Berlin 2014 — special jury prize (Hangover Hanger); Czech Grand Design 2014 — nomination; Young Package 2014 — prize of the Slovak Design Center (Frisbeer); Bikshelter Design Competition Ústí nad Labem 2013 — public prize; Fenix Flashlight Design, China 2013 — honourable mention.

Selected exhibitions and works: Designblok Prague 2014, Clerkenwell Design Week London 2015, DMY Berlin 2015, Wrocław Design Week 2016, Zlín Design Week 2017, Interzum Cologne 2017, Blik Blik Light Festival Plzeň 2017 (PETOTEM), AFO Warm Up Prague 2018 (Petotem), Art in the City 2018, Černá v Pošumaví — “Petotem” (recycled PET, Windy Point beach), Biela noc Bratislava and Košice 2018 (Petotem — permanently installed at Kulturfabrik Tabačka), Gdynia Design Week 2018, Zagreb Design Week 2018, iiHRiiSKO Banská Bystrica (permanent installation, 2022–present), Lost in translation, ISBA Besançon 2023, permanent installation in Brezno (2023–present), Zukünfte. Material und Design von morgen, Leipzig 2024–2025, ŽiŽa — Žilina light festival 2024, Nocturno Kremnica 2024, Borderland, Alversjö, Sweden 2025, Prototyp Brno 2025, Maják, Bělá pod Bezdězem 2025, Parasitic medium, Rozkvet Gallery, Banská Bystrica 2025.