Yana Karnaukhova: Ksenia, what or who initially inspired you to pursue a career in design, and how did this inspiration shape your early work?

Ksenia Emelianova: My path to design has been a tortuous one. I graduated from art school in Kaliningrad and wanted to go to Stroganovka in Moscow. But my parents persuaded me to get a more conservative education first, so that I would not fly away from reality at all. So I graduated from the law school at Kaliningrad State University (in the present Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University), after that, she went to Milan and received a master’s degree in international Relations from Università Cattolica. After completing an internship at the Chamber of Commerce, I realized that this is not my thing at all. I always liked design, I worked with my dad in the furniture business from an early age, went with him to Italy and Spain to exhibitions, factories, studied production technology, absorbed this aesthetic.
Therefore, in 2011, I decided to open my company ES Group Italia in Milan, which deals with supplies and project management, since at the same time the first clients appeared. So I made my first villa project in Tuscany, where I helped the customer with the design and turnkey deliveries. The company began to gain momentum only because of word of mouth, since the ES Group was a bridge between the manufacturer and the client/designer, and also because the office was located in the studio of architect Giacinto De Nardo and was engaged in supplies for the architect’s projects. ES Group has collaborated with many Italian and European factories, as well as with craftsmen.
Many of my friends worked in the fashion industry and I also felt the urge to be more creative, so in 2012 I entered the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) at the Faculty of Interior Design.

YK: How did your education at an art school in Russia and later at the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Milan influence your approach to interior design?

KE: Art school gave me a base, and perseverance. I really like art: visiting exhibitions, museums, galleries, studying the history of art has always been an integral part of my life. It gives me energy, it charges me.
We had super teachers at IED. I studied in the evening and all the professors were practicing designers and architects. The most useful knowledge for me was the design technology and the concept of the project. Technology has given me knowledge and confidence in the technical part (bricks, wiring, water supply, etc.), and the concept is to understand how meanings arise, what emotions the project, object, etc. carries. and how to express this concept in the design language.

YK: Working with architect Massimo Addario in Rome must have been a formative experience. Can you share some of the most valuable lessons or insights you gained during this period?

KE: I moved to Rome and at that time I didn’t know anyone there. I had all my contacts in Milan and in Russia. I wanted to gain experience in project management, to study the method. I found two architects I would like to work with, one refused, Massimo took me on to practice, he was not as famous then as he is now. I worked in a small garage and at that time there were only 3 of us in the office.
I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to work with such a person and talent as Massimo. I am a perfectionist, and he is 10 times more of a perfectionist than I am, so all the drawings and details were worked out to the smallest detail. He works very little with industrial furniture, everything is designed and created by craftsmen for the project, each element is like a work of art. It was a very valuable experience. I also learned how to work with the Roman mentality, with teams, craftsmen. It wasn’t easy for me.

YK: In 2014, you founded Emelianova Studio with a 360-degree approach to design. What motivated you to create a studio with such a comprehensive methodology, and how does this approach manifest in your work?

KE: ES Group Italia also continued to operate and specialized in supply chain and project or product management.
After graduating from the institute, I opened the Emelianova Studio design studio, it was even in 2013.
That’s how the 360 degree approach was born.
Under this concept, Architect Giacinto Di Nardo and I implemented our first joint project of a private villa in Russia. This is amazing, because the customer had one studio responsible for the entire project, supplies, installation, etc.

YK: Can you walk us through your process of developing a design concept? How do you translate initial ideas into concrete design elements?

KE: For me, everything starts with an emotion, with a thought, with feelings that I want to convey, with something immaterial and then transform it into a material one, whether it’s a painting, an object or a sculpture.
First, I write out all the emotions, thoughts, images, feelings, then I make a moodboard, select images, photos, shapes, materials that convey them.

YK: What are some of the most challenging aspects of your work that the public might not see, and how do you overcome these challenges?

KE: The most difficult thing is to get started, and work with the masters. It is necessary to control every stage of the process, especially when individual sizes are requested.

YK: How do advances in technology affect your design process and how do you incorporate new tools and techniques into your work?

KE: Yes, of course. CNC laser. I haven’t worked on a 3D printer yet. I think it will be necessary to master this tool soon.

YK: Your work demonstrates a profound understanding of materials and craftsmanship. What materials do you most enjoy working with, and why?

KE: I like natural materials that nature has created, such as solid wood, metals, marble.
So that after 20, 30 years it can be polished and everything looks like new. I like collectible design because it is not a mass industry. Each object is produced in a limited batch under an individual order, signed and numbered.

YK: What core principles guide your design practice, and how do they influence the projects you undertake at your studio?

KE: The most important thing is to convey meanings, emotions, sensations, and not to create, just to create and sell.
The object must carry information (information – Inform), authenticity.
There should also be functionality. Collectible design is still design, and each object should have its own function. High quality is very important, you can’t go anywhere without it.
I also pay great attention to details, they can radically change the object.

YK: How do you balance your sensitivity to art with the functional demands of design in your projects?

KE: They perceive the object as a sculpture and add a function. Depending on the collection, the percentage of art or function varies.

YK: Who or what are your primary sources of inspiration? Are there specific artists, designers, or movements that have profoundly influenced your style?

KE: Among the designers, I like Gabriella Crespi, Charlotte Perriand, Jean Prouve, as well as the Italian design of the 70s. From artists and sculptors Anish Kapoor, Jean Arp, Constantin Brancusi. I’ve been interested in Soviet architecture lately.

YK: Your latest furniture collection rethinks the rock spirit and aesthetics of the 70s within a minimalist framework. Can you discuss the conceptual journey behind this bold reimagining?

KE: The collection is inspired by rock and roll, which expresses freedom and emotions. Rock and roll is eternal because it is real, it is a personal experience.
The beauty lies in its authenticity, it is not influenced by rules or trends, it has its own strong identity, strong presence, essence.
Personality, not standard beauty. Asymmetric shapes, distortion, movement, liveliness of materials. Having a pronounced personality, he is at the same time versatile, accepting and fits well with others.
First there are emotions, feelings, and then I find a source that reflects these feelings, dig into the history.
Rock and roll is also born out of distortion. Chuck Berry’s classic 1955 song “Maybellene”, in particular, contains a distorted electric guitar solo with warm overtones created by his small valve amplifier. Willie Johnson of Howlin’ Wolf and Pat Hare also used distorted chords in the early 1950s.

YK: What exciting projects or directions are you currently exploring for the future of Emelianova Studio, and what goals do you hope to accomplish moving forward?

KE: A new collection will be released in October, and I am also working on a collection for one gallery. I would like to exhibit my objects at an exhibition in Milan next year, to do a joint show with other Russian designers.
To complete the sculpture project that I am currently working on.
To master new technologies so that it can be designed in one country and produced in another, so that there is no question of logistics and customs, sanctions, etc.