The British Council and the Design Museum showcased the work of four up and coming UK designers in our new exhibition Great Brits held in Sir Paul Smith’s new Milan headquarters during the Milan Furniture Fair.

The designers featured in Great Brits– Mathias Bengtsson, Tord Boontje, Daniel Brown and Sam Buxton – are still at the start of their careers, but each has demonstrated that they have the vision and talent to become influential designers not just in the UK but internationally.

Curators Emily Campbell, head of design at the British Council, and Alice Rawsthorn, director of the Design Museum – believe that they are among the most exciting and innovative young designers working in Britain today. Each designer works in a different discipline and has a distinctive approach to design, yet all four harness technology to create visually arresting, emotionally engaging work.

Furniture designer Mathias Bengtsson exhibited a new series of limited edition chairs and chaises longues. Product designer Tord Boontje showed new glassware, furniture and lighting. He also unveiled the Inflorescente collection of glass and moving fabric screens he has developed with the digital artist Andrew Shoben. Multimedia designer Daniel Brown, best known for the digital animations he creates for www.play-create.com, launched a new Software As Furniture concept alongside sound reactive animations which move in synch with music. Product designer Sam Buxton unveiled prototypes for a new series of electro-luminescent objects and his fold-up stainless steel MIKRO house.

Project Manager Emily Campbell

For further information on the designers

For further information on Paul Smith