Course General Description

Highly experimental and individualized, the graduate program in Furniture Design supports each student's artistic development and articulation of an individual design philosophy through the conception, design and construction of furniture and related objects. The work produced ranges from one-of-a-kind objects, to designs for limited or mass production, to experimental, conceptually based projects. Aesthetic considerations in conjunction with a fluent use of materials and processes to support individual design concepts are paramount. During the first year, students are exposed to a variety of conceptual approaches to furniture and encouraged to expand their thinking, redefining functional and aesthetic considerations through design, material and making investigations. The curriculum challenges students to question their perception of furniture design, examine the changing role of objects in relation to culture and prompt inquiry into their own design philosophy and contribution to the field. The second year is focused on developing a thesis body of work.

School General Description

Rhode Island School of Design is a private, nonprofit college founded in Providence, RI in 1877—making it one of the first art and design schools in the US. Approximately 2,480 students from around the world are engaged in liberal arts studies and rigorous, studio-based learning at RISD (pronounced “RIZ-dee”), where they earn bachelor’s or master’s degrees in 21 majors. The mission of Rhode Island School of Design, through its college and museum, is to educate its students and the public in the creation and appreciation of works of art and design, to discover and transmit knowledge and to make lasting contributions to a global society through critical thinking, scholarship and innovation.