Stephen Burks

Stephen Burks (1969–) is an established American designer and the first African American to receive the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in the category of Product Design (2015). Born in Chicago, he was educated in New York, where he later founded his studio. Central to his design practice is the rediscovery and valorization of local craftsmanship in developing countries—an interest he first encountered in 2005 during a trip to South Africa organized by the nonprofit Aid to Artisans. Since then, many of his designs have featured handwoven, brightly colored fibers, as seen in his iconic outdoor furniture collections for Dedon and in the lighting designs created for Parachilna. His research into the forms and languages of craftsmanship culminated in the exhibition Man Made, organized in 2011 at the Studio Museum in Harlem. Deeply connected to his African American identity and actively engaged in public discourse, Stephen Burks is today a highly influential figure on the American design scene. Among the other brands with which he has collaborated are Cappellini—one of the first to support his career by producing his earliest works as early as 2000—Living Divani, Luceplan, Roche Bobois, and BD Barcelona Design.