Stephen Burks: Connecting design to people

Stephen Burks of Readymade Projects in New York discusses his recent work with African artisans and craftsmen. He addresses issues such as the immediacy of design, models of distribution and progress, and development through collaboration.

In his early work Burks was disillusioned by working with established, Euro-centric contemporary design brands. He says he was always looking for ways to connect his work to a bigger cause, to connect design to people.

Working with artisans allows me to see how important design can be, to individuals, to communities, to culture as a whole, says Burks.