Hagit Pincovici
Hagit Pincovici and Kelly Wearstler in front of their “Third Nature” Collection
Hagit Pincovici founded her eponymous bespoke luxury furniture and lighting atelier in 2014. Known in her earlier work for a rich color and material palette, and a devotion to the geometric forms found in modern art, Hagit has established her practice as one of the foremost among her generation of designers. Since 2019, Hagit has turned her attention to nature, inspired by the botanical forms and striking landscape of her native Israel. Materiality has always played a strong role, from an initial focus on marble, brass and lacquer to a more recent exploration of sandstone and cast aluminum. Her signature clean lines balance out these ‘softer’ materials, highlighting the relationship between the experimental and functional found throughout her oeuvre. For each handmade piece, Hagit collaborates personally and directly with a family of artisans in the heart of the furniture district of Brianza, outside Milan.
Hagit is a graduate of Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem and Domus Academy in Milan. Her collectible designs are exhibited at The Future Perfect, Dimore Gallery, Galerie Philia, and Studio TwentySeven. She has exhibited work at the Triennale in Milan, and she has designed furniture for leading Italian design brands such as Baxter. Her work won a Wallpaper* Design Award in 2019.
In 2022, Hagit collaborated with renowned interior designer Kelly Wearstler to launch the “Third Nature” collection ahead of Salone del Mobile.
Where are you from and where do you live now? I was born in Tel Aviv and have been traveling and living in a few inspiring cities such as Paris, Osaka, Rome, and Copenhagen. I currently live between New York and Milan.
What inspired you to move from Tel Aviv to Milan? The rich design history in regards to Architecture, Design, and Fashion.
I find the Italian culture warm and “elastic”, which becomes a fertile ground for innovation and creativity. Something about their DNA that allows ideas to burst with nonchalance.
How does your environment/where you grew up/where you live influence your designs? I grew up in a creative environment, my grandparents were both entrepreneurs, developing design items in Plexiglas where Tel Aviv was literally still a desert. My parents alway encouraged me to take part in artistic courses as a child and in general, expressing myself in all fields.
What did you study? I studied Industrial Design at Bezalel Academy in Jerusalem.
When did you first become interested in design? My year of studies in Paris was the turning point. I just finished my military service and was ready to embark on a new experience, having the desire to express myself in various fields such as Architecture and applied Art. Being exposed to such a vast world of references enhanced my knowledge and desire to study design but when I think of it, I have been designing furniture since I was 15 years old.
What are some of your favorite design periods or moments in history? Difficult question. If I really have to choose, I would say Art Deco.
Who is your dream client/Who would you love to work with? Kelly Wearstler and Peter Marino. Both are extraordinarily creative, expressing an interesting, unique angle to each of their projects, aspiring from multiple fields, rich with references.
Where do you dream of traveling? Favorite places to travel? My current dream place would be South America. I visited only Brazil and Mexico and am more and more aware of the vast artisanal expression in Colombia, Mexico and other countries. Apart from visiting their landscape, I would love to discover that aspect of those countries.
Who or what inspires you? For the eye- every form of an exhibition. Cinema is also a great source of inspiration. In the last few years I discovered dancing. Participating in Gaga dancing lessons in New York and Tel Aviv made me discover how body movement can ignite a mechanism of enhanced creativity, opening up to different emotions and being aware of our own body.
Favorite places? Dia Beacon, Isamu Noguchi museum, The MET, Villa Panza, Villa Necchi, The Desert!
How did the Kelly Wearstler collaboration happen? It’s a funny story. One night, at 2am I woke up with an illumination- offering Kelly Weastler a collaboration. This was two years ago and our communication started rather quickly. I wrote her an introduction letter, she expressed her appreciation for my work and since then, I have been designing bespoke pieces for various projects under her wing. In June 2021 her team contacted me regarding Kelly’s initiative of creating the “Kelly Wearstler Gallery” project, where she personally picked designers she would want to work with. I was immensely flattered and thrilled for the opportunity to create a collection together. The result- Third Nature, a “four hands” collection, which in a way embraces two similar locations such as Los Angeles and Tel Aviv in terms of climate and landscape.
Any additional details? The creating process with Kelly and her team has been a real pleasure. I came to visit her in Los Angeles in November 2021 and was received very warmly. I deeply appreciate our communication, our exchange, which brought birth to this mesmerizing outcome. I was so keen on making it happen, that I made miracles. Producing the whole collection in five weeks during the holidays was no small feat!
What inspired the collection? Having to be confined as part of our pandemic routine, I was in ode to nature when I first came in contact with it again. I started collecting dead plants and was mesmerized by the beauty of its details. I knew I wanted to do something with it but no idea what exactly. Before living back in Italy, I shipped an enormous crate with all the plants I found fascinating, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to find them there due to the different climate. Those dead plants were gold for me. When I arrived in Italy, I made a Bronze cast of a few of them and only then I started creating my collection. I would say that Third Nature was born on the contrary, making the Bronze pieces and only then elaborating on the composition and the usage of massive wood. The collection was then evolved together with Kelly and her team, who were in complete sync with its meaning. In a way, geographically, Milan, which is the capital of craftsmanship, is exactly the junction point/mid point between two cities which are very much similar from a climate and landscape point of view.
What do you admire about Kelly Wearstler and her designs? The vast fields of inspiration, the unconventional approach to art and design and the intelligence and naturality of creating a unique composition every time, endlessly.
Where did the name Third Nature come from? Making our nature become part of us proactively. Improving ecological conditions and creating a memorable human experience through design. By giving a new life to dead plants, we become more aware.
What is next for you? I moved to New York in February in order to explore various possibilities of collaborations.
Daily uniform? Favorite fashion designers? Jeans and a shirt.
Do you listen to music while you work? If so, what? Jazz, Cuban music, and everything that has a soul!
What do you do when you’re not working? Reading, meditating, cinema, and exhibitions.
PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Achieving goals and appreciating them when it happens.
What is your greatest fear? Not being to one of the two.
What is your current state of mind? Abundance is a result of intention and letting go.
On what occasion do you lie? I don’t remember the last time I lied, but if I did, it would be to not make my mom worried : )
What do you most dislike about your appearance? My freckles, but I learned to live with them.
What is the quality you most like in a man? Intelligence.
What is the quality you most like in a woman? Intelligence.
When and where were you happiest? Random moments every now and then. Especially in the Desert
Which talent would you most like to have? Making every second count.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Wanting it all, now! Learning about patience.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Having the opportunity to express myself through my work
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? Would have loved to come back as a great filmmaker.
Where would you most like to live? Everywhere which can provide me the opportunity to do what I love, surrounded by wonderful humans.
What is your most treasured possession? Family and friends.
What do you most value in your friends? Intelligence, honesty, and humor.
Who are your favorite writers? Patty Smith, Yoel Hoffmann, Neruda, Israel Eliraz, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Elsa Morante, José Saramago, and Wasilva Szymborska.
Who are your heroes in real life? My grandparents.
What is your greatest regret? No regrets, as Edith Piaf used to sing.
How would you like to die? Looking back and knowing I did the best I could and did it my way.
What is your motto? Attention energizes, intention transforms.
Text: Veronica H. Speck