Meet
Rodrigo!
Venture into his secret lair on rue de la Roquette in Paris, where sparks fly and conventions crumble.
This maverick turns raw materials into pieces of art and functional wonders, flipping the script on design.
“Taking yourself too seriously is dangerous
and ugly.”
What has framed your own trail?
I grew up in total opposition to the educational system. When I was studying at the Beaux-Arts,
I always had to justify the relevance of a work by finding a recognized artist with a similar practice. We had to respond to art rather than reflect on what had led us to create it. It was very frustrating. At Kostia, I give meaning to gestures and creation, using an infinite palette of techniques: drawing to conceptualize an idea, photography to capture light and brilliance, painting to specify a color — all with the same objective: to create art objects with real utility.
What do you believe in?
Tolerance. It’s one of the most important values because it goes hand in hand with respect for others, their ideas, and their desires. People with little tolerance make me very intolerant! [laughs.] I also believe in self-mockery. Taking yourself too seriously is dangerous and ugly.
What’s the belief you’ve totally ditched?
I’ve stopped believing that there’s automatically a right way to follow. A belief I’ve totally ditched is that there’s only one correct path. I can’t see myself creating a table and thinking, “There, that’s what I should have done.” I hope that every time I finish a piece of furniture, I’ll feel like doing the exact opposite the next day.
Got any hacks for a simpler life?
I allow myself to be bored. What works best for me is boredom in motion. Watching a landscape I know by heart go by, from a bus or a train, is extremely stimulating.
It may look like I’m doing nothing, but it saves me a lot of time in my creative work.
“Just because things are standardized
doesn't mean we shouldn't question them.”
What belief have you rebooted along the way?
I’ve re-evaluated my perspective on exclusive love relationships. It may sound very intimate, but I consider it to be the tree that hides the forest. Behind this opinion is the idea of never conforming. Just because things are standardized doesn’t mean we shouldn’t question them.
I invite everyone to ask themselves whether a situation really suits them or whether they’re living like this because it’s more comfortable not to overturn the norms.
Who’s flipping the script for you?
My former boss (now partner), Constantin Laan, is a great inspiration in his approach to design. He doesn’t give himself any constraints, and if there are problems to deal with or if we have to learn a new technique to be able to make the piece of furniture he’s imagined, we’ll do it. I also like his open-minded approach to workshop life. He makes room for everyone’s ideas.
What makes life truly worth the ride?
Always wanting to learn and experience new things. Knowing how to nurture your inner fire and curiosity is the greatest achievement of all. From a personal point of view, designing a collection of objects and furniture from A to Z would be a real accomplishment.
Got any words for a “non-believer”?
To write down your ideas. Sometimes thoughts cross our minds, and we let them go, telling ourselves they’re irrelevant. But maybe, a few weeks or months later, after we’ve nurtured them with various influences, they’ll sound different. Taking note is giving yourself the possibility of coming back to it and moving on with your life.
