Born in 1981 in Bad Mergentheim Sebastian Herkner studied Industrial Design at Offenbach University of Design between 2001 and 2007. During an internship with Stella McCartney in London he developed a keen sense for materials, colours and textures that continues to characterise his designs and helps set him amongst the most important contemporary designers.
In 2006, while still a student, Sebastian Herkner founded his own studio in Offenbach am Main from where he has designed furniture, lighting and objects that combine cultural influences, artisanal traditions and contemporary technologies. Herkner's style is characterised by harmonious colour schemes, tactile materials and a delicate balance between sensuality and functionality.
Sebastian Herkner has achieved international acclaim with, among other projects, the iconic Bell Table for ClassiCon and the 118 chair collection for Thonet.
In addition he has worked in close collaboration with renowned brands such as Schönbuch, Gloster, La Chance, &Tradition, Moroso, Pulpo, or Rosenthal, as well as with a wide roster of global manufacturers.
Herkner is particularly passionate about preserving traditional craftsmanship. For example, he collaborates with workshops in Colombia and Zimbabwe, where social and ecological aspects are consciously considered.
Designer Sebastian Herkner
Sebastian Herkner has received numerous awards including the Leonardo da Vinci Fellowship (2003), the German Design Award as a Newcomer (2011), and "Guest of Honour" at imm cologne 2016. His designs are regularly featured at leading international trade fairs such as the Salone del Mobile in Milan and Maison & Objet in Paris. He has also been included in Architectural Digest's prestigious "AD 100 Best Designers of the Year" list several times.
In addition to his furniture designs, Herkner also creates holistic interior design projects, collaborates with museums and exhibition venues, and worked as a teaching assistant at the HfG Offenbach from 2006 to 2012. In all his projects he pursues a systemic approach: contemporary design that impresses with authenticity, quality and longevity.
...It's probably fair to say that no object at IMM Cologne 2018 confused us quite as much as the new 118 chair by Sebastian Herkner for Thonet... And now with the 118 Thonet present the "Offenbach" Chair, a nod to Sebastian Herkner's adopted home, and a name which contains the sort of delightfully irreverent self-irony sadly missing in the largely humourless contemporary furniture industry...
..." In addition to creating their own installation the chosen four designers were asked to invite a further design studio whose work they are currently enjoying to create an installation, thus eight installations were presented in Cologne: one each from Stefan Diez, Sebastian Herkner, Besau Marguerre a... Especially pleasing was seeing Sebastian Herkner choose Bertjan Pot's Pit Stop kid's beanbag in an adult setting, Sarah Böttger selecting Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec's Uncino chair and Olaf Schroeder's decision to place Tip Ton by Barber Osgerby through Vitra in his "Parcours" installation, an installation in which he argues that the modern office is a place of movement and that your chosen office furniture must respond to that movement...
...One of the firms most recent collaborations is and was with Offenbach am Main based Sebastian Herkner... A graduate of the Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach am Main, Sebastian Herkner established his own studio in 2006 where in addition to his much celebrated Bell Coffee Table, Bell Side Table and Bell Light collections through Classicon has also developed projects for manufactures as varied as Moroso, Pulpo, Böwer or La Chance...
...Featuring a mix of furniture, lighting, accessories and decorative objects Alle Metalle / All Metal presents not only a nice overview of the myriad ways metal has been used in 20th century design, but also provides an insight into how metal obviously continues to inspire and drive the creative process: Poul Henningsen's Artichoke Lamp for Louis Poulsen, Sebastian Herkner's Bell Side Table and Bell Coffee Table for ClassiCon, Kai Linke's Cosmo lamp, Tom Dixon's Etch Lamp shade, Robert Dudley's Bestlight through Gubi, CM05 HABIBI by Philipp Mainzer for e15...
