Winners

Gili Kuchik & Ran Amitai

Product & Object Design
Emerging Designer Award

“Our studio’s thinking process is based on recognizing that object design was here before us and will be here after us. That is why we see ourselves as a link in the long chain of design evolution, by its very essence, connecting past and future. And this is why our works rely on a profound understanding of the history of design and correspond with past and current design, driven by the aspiration to advance the field, as long as its evolution is entrusted to us, to new and, hopefully, better realms".

Gilli Kuchik and Ran Amitai established their eponymous studio (formerly Bakery Studio) in 2009, after graduating from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. They believe in design that relies on an experimental and practical process, and progresses through experiencing and playing with materials and technologies.

Kuchik and Amitai are recipients of the 2021 Edmond de Rothschild Design Award for Emerging Product Designers.

The jury panel’s decision:
“The Edmond de Rothschild Design Award is granted to Gilli Kuchik and Ran Amitai for their joint work and impressive professional accomplishments as a young studio. Their work in the fields of furniture design, product design, and prototype development positions them at the forefront of both the local and international contemporary product design field. Characterized by its reference to design traditions and cultural icons, their work also incorporates innovative and diverse technologies, as embodied in the development of a fresh personal esthetic language.


The studio’s break into the international arena was accompanied by creative daring, adherence to high standards, and a professional partnership with the manufacturing companies. This professional maturity is a leading marker for many young designers seeking to integrate into this field.

The committee found the studio’s work highly interesting, specifically, in the duo’s efforts to design a classic product using original and surprising material, technological, mechanical. and narrative solutions. Their achievements so far and the committee’s confidence in their future work have earned Gilli Kuchik and Ran Amitai the 2021 Edmond de Rothschild Design Award for Product Design, in the Emerging Designer category".