SOFIA RICKARD SHAH

Sofia Rickard Shah is an interdisciplinary designer raised in Florence and Los Angeles, based in London. Through storytelling, her work interrogates our relationship to objects, institutions and society.

Building on a narrative, Sofia creates experiential spaces that incorporate her love for craft objects, textiles and history. Influenced by the way people appropriate, adapt and reuse spaces according to their environment, infrastructure and socio-political contexts. Sofia’s philosophy is to design with intention, care and detail for everyday and ordinary moments and things. Creating portraits of people, the spaces they inhabit and the stories they tell.
Sofia’s design manifests in a variety of ways: set design, art direction, image and film as well as textiles. Sofia’s past projects include explorations of historical contexts, rebuilding, the character of cities and light, and heritage through craft.

Growing up with parents in the fashion industry allowed her to have access to behind the scenes processes which have influenced her tactile approach to design. Incorporating textiles and natural materials, Sofia weaves historical, traditional and vernacular ways of making into her work. For example, looking at traditional textiles made in northern British weaving mills or pottery as folk craft. Understanding how things age with time and wear is crucial to how Sofia approaches her making.

Viewing her practice as a collage: layering context, thoughtful materials, making, and experiences to create a larger story .

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RESEARCH

BOTANICAL IMPERIALISM : POPPIES

BIOREGIONAL MATERIALS

3D PRINTED BASKET WEAVING

CLAY AND EARTHEN MATERIALS

THERMAL ARCHITECTURE

SAUNAS

COURTYARDS

PLANTS AND HERITAGE - UNHCR

WEAVING AND LANGUAGE

INDIAN, KENYAN, BRITISH CRAFT CULTURE

POSTMODERNISM AND F1 RACING

REBUILDING

URBANISM AND PLACEMAKING