interviews with the protagonists of the international creative scene: we met william sawaya in his studio in milan ........................................................
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william k. sawaya born in beirut in 1948 he graduated in 1973 from the national academy of fine arts of beirut. particularly interested to the definition of internal spaces, he extends his professional activity to france, italy, greece, japan and the usa. in paris and milan he studied and experienced in the field of furniture design which he considers an important part of a coherent project in living culture. in 1978 he moved to italy and established, together with paolo moroni, sawaya & moroni architecture and design office, and in 1984 they founded sawaya & moroni contemporary furniture, where he directs the artistic and project activities. he joins various personal and collective art and design exhibitions. Occasionally he also designs for other companies like swissair, the fifa, the museo bagatti valsecchi, heller.... his work has been published on various design and architectural books, magazines and newspapers, his work is present in various museums as well as in public and private collection --- http://www.sawayamoroni.com	william sawaya © designboom
--- we met william sawaya in milan at his design office the 15.03.2001 --- what is your best moment of the day? the best time of day is in the morning when I get here and my mind and physical strength are fresh what kind of music do you listen to at the moment? when I am at work I listen to what is being played. the kids listen to the radio all day long, at home only classical music do you listen to the radio? yes when I am in my car or at work. never at home what books do you have on your bedside table? I like milan kundera a lot, very often there is one of his books. do you read design magazines? the ones they send me for free newspapers? where do you get news from? 2,3 newspapers, I read the first page, then the culture pages, I’m not interested in politics. do you notice how women are dressing? do you have any preferences? very much, I like elegant women. what kind of clothes do you avoid wearing? effiminate clothing. I can appreciate it on others, but not on me do you have any pets? unfortunately not at my house, but at my parents’ where do you work on your designs and projects? here I design, I develop a lot of ideas, a lot of notes taken while travelling describe your style, like a good friend of yours would describe it. they would say that I do honest design, I don’t demand anything, I don’t change the world, nobody changes the world, I used to do more eclectic things than I do now. then I learned to be sneaky. sometimes I just re-design. which of your projects has given you the most satisfaction? I designed a house in sardinia many years ago that I still like very much. the design projects that I like the most are always the most recent ones. who would you like to design something for? for someone known for being difficult when you are working, do you discuss or exchange ideas with your colleagues? no, I have some colleagues, but I never discuss work with them. you design for the company in which you are co-owner. do you think your approach is different? yes it is very different and it is fundamental that it is this way. my role in the company is to fill voids. first of all we ask others to design our collections and I add whatever items are missing. sometimes I design things I like, meaning that basically I design the things that others ask me to. our company has a certain style, so I can’t propose or realize all of the projects that I think up.. is there any architect or designer from past you appreciate a lot? I have always liked pierre paulin, who was peraps the first to create modern upholstered furniture, sinuous and very relevant still today. and among those still working? I like zaha hadid very much on the news they said that italians are afraid of unemployment, criminality and pollution. what are you afraid of regarding the future? since italians are mamma’s boys and housewives, they always have a sense of uncertainty, they are never 100% adults.	darwish, cast aluminium seating sawaya & moroni 1999 ..you jane sawaya & moroni 1991 diva sawaya & moroni 1987 patty diffusa sawaya & moroni 1993
the questionaire of marcel proust (1871 - 1922) ....................................................................................................................................................... (in age of fourteen proust was given an english album "confessions : an album to record thoughts, feelings". seven years later marcel proust published this questionaire) in the literary salons in nineteenth century paris, this parlour game was a popular amusement. for designboom william sawaya has answered these 'old fashioned' questions. .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
the main lineaments of my character. timid, sincere. a quality I desire in a man. frankness and courageousness a quality I desire in a woman. femininity what I appreciate most among my friends. loyalty my principal defect. I’m too impulsive and sometimes superficial my favourite occupation. my profession my dream of felicity. children make me happy what would for me be the biggest misfortune. the loss of a loved one whom I would like to be. what I am, but more detached the country were I would like to live. somewhere by the sea the colour I prefer. all colors, if used in the right way the flower I love. african violets the bird I prefer. my own. my favourite authors. milan kundera and yukio mishima my favourite poets. poetry makes you weak and 'rèveur', when I was 18 I decided to come down to earth and keep my feet on the ground my heroes in fiction. tom & jerry my heroines in fiction. - my favourite composers. mozart, philip glass my favourite artists. there are many, I like the transavangarde painters my heroes in real life. people who do volunteer work my heroines in history. joan of arc my favourite names. khalil, karim, gioia what I hate most. dishonesty, stupidity. the historic characters I dislike most. hitler the military enterprise I like the most. none the reformation I appreciate the most. perestroika, the idea not the application nature’s gift I would like to have. health how I would like to die. in my bed, with no disease my soul's present condition. anxious. the faults I can bear. faults that are committed without meanness. my motto. keep moving ahead (with the savoias) --- ------- monthly designboom newsletter ------- ------- ? comments and contact us ? -------	nylon sawaya & moroni 1998 hi boris, cabinet bar sawaya & moroni 1999 agrado, side table sawaya & moroni 2000 cinquanta sawaya & moroni 2000 le diable en tete, pitcher sawaya & moroni sterling silver collection the william sawaya tea & coffee set sawaya & moroni sterling silver collection