Sculpture That Breathes: Design as Intimacy with Studio AOAO

When Alicja Strzyżyńska inherited her grandmother’s mid-century cabinet from Poland, she discovered something unexpected. “Every time I open it, I can still smell her,” she reflects. “It’s more than a cabinet—it’s a portal, a memory, something that endures.” That recognition—that an object can carry presence, memory, and emotion—sits at the heart of Studio AOAO’s design philosophy.

Founded in Amsterdam in 2021 by Strzyżyńska and Onur Iseri, Studio AOAO creates sculptural objects that invite long-term relationships. Their work emerges from a deeply personal understanding of how objects can serve as emotional anchors in our lives, particularly through their lived neurodivergent experience, which prioritizes sensory clarity, tactile grounding, and visual calm.

The Romantic Archetype

When asked about their place in ADORNO’s Persona 2025 exhibition at 3daysofdesign—an exploration of design as a reflection of identity and psychological archetypes—the duo immediately identifies with “The Romantic.” Their practice is guided by emotion, atmosphere, and intuition, reflecting a deeply personal and inward approach to design.

This romantic sensibility manifests in pieces that resist the cold efficiency of contemporary design. Too often, they found, interiors felt like slick machines with no emotional presence. Instead, they wanted to create pieces that felt alive—objects that could blend into a space like nature does, quietly and intuitively, while still carrying presence and emotional depth.

Their approach to intimacy is particularly nuanced. They believe that creating intimacy between person and object requires moments of free interaction, where users can engage on their own terms. In their Kado Collection, designed for Japanese flower arrangement, they created playful vases with openings on opposite sides, inviting users to spend more time reflecting on flower arrangements and encouraging different decisions with each use.

A Cultural Synthesis

The studio’s aesthetic emerges from a rich interplay of cultural influences. Both founders spent formative time in Japan, where they learned to find beauty in the unassuming rhythms of daily life—in how materials age, in closeness to nature, and in objects that carry poetic presence. Iseri particularly embraces the Japanese concept of “medatanai utsukushisa,” which roughly translates to “the beauty that does not stand out.”

It’s not about being invisible, but about leaving an impression without insisting on one—an understated presence that lingers in the mind. Their work leans toward objects that don’t compete for attention, but quietly belong—unfolding their character slowly, with each encounter.

This Japanese influence merges with European craft traditions and Polish resourcefulness. Strzyżyńska’s upbringing in post-communist Poland, where resources were limited and her father never threw away well-made furniture, instilled a deep appreciation for materials that endure both physically and emotionally.

Materiality as Memory

The studio’s material language—centered on plaster and clay—reflects a commitment to rawness and emotional expression. These materials don’t hide their age; they gather character over time, weathering rather than wearing out. The studio’s curiosity lies in how form, light, texture, and narrative can shape the way an object makes someone feel.

Strzyżyńska’s relationship with materials was shaped early by her sculptor grandfather, whose work carried the weight of World War II trauma while remaining deeply beautiful. She spent summers at his house, surrounded by sculptures, paintings, and sketches, often watching him work in the early morning hours when only they were awake. Those moments revealed not just the beauty of materials, but “the quiet, peaceful rhythm of working with your hands—of time spent with care.”

Sustainable Through Sentiment

For Studio AOAO, sustainability extends beyond material choice to emotional durability. They argue that choosing eco-friendly materials isn’t enough if objects fall apart quickly or get discarded when tastes change. Every created object consumes energy and water while producing waste—if thrown away after just a few years, designers bear responsibility for the next round of resources needed for replacement.

Their solution involves creating objects that people want to keep—pieces that develop meaning over time rather than losing it. They focus on building emotional connections through form, materiality, and narrative, ensuring their objects are kept, valued, and passed down through generations.

The Forest Metaphor

When asked about the metaphysical bond they seek to create between object and user, the duo offers a poetic analogy: “For us, a good relationship is like being in a forest—deep, filled with both darkness and light, beautiful moments and mud. It’s honest, and always curious to discover more.”

This philosophy aligns perfectly with the Persona exhibition’s mission to reveal “the quiet multitudes each of us contains.” Studio AOAO’s pieces embody psychological states and invite the kind of introspective encounter that Persona celebrates. They create objects that don’t just reflect identity but actively participate in its formation and expression.

As visitors move through the Persona exhibition, they’ll encounter Studio AOAO’s work much like Strzyżyńska first encountered her grandmother’s cabinet—not as ordinary furniture, but as objects that carry presence and memory. These pieces invite a pause, a moment of recognition—something intimate, almost familiar. Amid the noise of surface and spectacle, they offer a quieter reflection: not of how we present ourselves, but of how we feel, remember, and endure.

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Studio AOAO will be featured in the Persona exhibition during 3daysofdesign, exploring how collectible design can serve as a mirror for the self through a vivid, multisensory journey of psychological archetypes.