Thierry Forbois, Montreal
Thierry, a multidisciplinary artist, has been creating elegant, pared-back furniture for more than 20 years. In his debut collection for Quebec manufacturer Prince Renart, he was inspired by Japanese and Scandinavian styles. The 13-piece Bokken collection is crafted from North American white oak (the closest local species to Japanese oak) and finished by hand with natural Danish oil and vegan wood butter. Elevating the authentic character of the wood in sleek forms dovetails with Thierry’s holistic point of view: “If art, design and craft were once distinct and separate fields, their frontier is blurrier today.”