Tom Dixon

Born in Sfax, Tunisia, in 1959, Tom Dixon is an internationally renowned British designer. His background and career choice were the result of a combination of circumstances. Whilst studying for a degree at Chelsea College of Art and Design, he decided to drop out after six months as the course did not meet his expectations. He then played in a rock band that was making a name for itself in the genre at the time. On the side, Dixon began salvaging metal from Chelsea Harbour with his friends Mark Brazier-Jones and Nick Jones – who would go on to form the trio Creative Salvage – to turn it into functional sculptures.

Having been a self-taught musician, Tom Dixon set about teaching himself design. He created pieces and sold them to fund the creation of others. After going on to become creative director at Habitat, he launched his own eponymous company.

‘I like a narrative, like everyone else, but they’re often after-the-fact rationalisations. I think I’m a bit more instinctive than cerebral in that sense. Design – as opposed to art or sculpture – gives you a formal framework. There’s an expectation of functionality, and I’m more comfortable with certain constraints. It has to support you, it has to be able to hold liquid, it has to provide light.”

His quest for imperfection in his creations is evident in his Melt pendant light collection. Created in collaboration with the Swedish design group FRONT, the range of light fittings seeks to achieve a blown-glass effect. With a hypnotic appearance, the Melt pendant lights come in several colours, all of which harmonise beautifully when combined in the same room. Featuring more symmetrical yet still highly original forms, the Void pendant light collection aimed to create lights that mysteriously conceal their light source.