Hi Birgit!

Congratulations on being shortlisted
for the Cluster Crafts Residency 2021

How would you introduce yourself to the cluster readers?

My name is Birgit and my creative partner is called Guillaume.
We are a French-German maker duo based in Berlin, working under
the name Studio B Severin. We think and act beyond traditional categories merging craft, design and art. We are driven
by an exploration of material culture - expressing the thoughts, visions and dreams that shape human behaviour, cognition and emotion.
The objects we create go beyond mere visual intrigue.
Inspired by experimentation and research, each piece tells a story
about the complex network of interrelationships between humans
and their surroundings. Therefore, dialogues are literally
and metaphorically essential to our working approach.

How did you get here on your creative journey?

My creative journey started as a scientist at University College of London in the department of Neuroaesthetics, under the guidance of Professor Semir Zeki. I was trying to understand human experiences
and then developed the desire to consciously alter them - so my study went from theory to practice. While studying my Masters in Contextual Design I met Guillaume Neu-Rinaudo. We’ve been working together since 2017, merging life and work we form a symbiosis of thinking hands.

Tell us about the work you submitted.

We submitted a mixed collection of older and more recent projects. Ashes explores the beauty of decay and was inspired
by the Dutch Vanitas Paintings of the 17th Century. The work questions the relationships between ageing and death in a society striving for youth. Design Impressionism rethinks the interplay of 19th-century window glass production against the backdrop of emerging Impressionist Paintings.
We worked with a traditional glass manufacturer who crafted the glass piece for this series. We then silver-plated one side creating a mirror effect, reflecting light and colour like the surface of water being moved
by the wind. Within a historical framework the series questions
the relationship between art and crafts, challenging our contemporary point of view and self-perception. The mirror blurs our reflection,
merging it with the environment and creating ever- changing impressions.

How would you describe your creative style and way of working?

We always start with a question. A theoretical construct that takes shape through dialogue with the material. While the themes can be controversial the visual language is always poetic and aesthetic.
We use beauty to raise acceptance and openness.

Social media and you: the good, the bad and the ugly.
Tell us all.

I would say it's a love-hate relationship. It’s incredible how easy
it is to share things; our vision, thoughts, projects and everything else happening in our lives. On the other hand, it sucks me up;
I drown and get lost in it. Theodore Roosevelt once said: Comparison
is the thief of joy, and that’s how I feel when scrolling through Instagram.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

For me, it is the morning itself. I love the morning light and I start every day by meditating and doing sport. During these morning hours I gather
the energy and harmony which carries me through the rest of the day. Guillaume is also a morning person. He’s full of energy and tends
to be the one making jokes while singing to the radio.
We love what we do, so passion is driving us.

Who are your idols?

Spontaneously, I would say Atelier Haußmann -
specifically Andreas Haußmann and his wife, Gabriela.
They radiate so much positivity, optimism and love for each other
and compassion for everyone else.

Personal motto/mantra?

When I think something is impossible I know that it's just a limit in my mind
that can be overcome.

Tips, tricks and secrets for making it
in the art world?

The key to success is to never give up!