Kiwi designer joins New York design elite — Exporter Magazine

New Zealand designer, Kris Ericksen, has been named an NYCxDESIGN Awards Honoree after reaching a finalist position in the Emerging Talent category of the recent New York-based global design competition.  

The competition, which concluded at The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) on 15th May, celebrated outstanding achievement across all major areas of design: architecture, interiors, furnishings, lighting, and technology. It attracted 500 entries from over 100 designers and over 200 manufacturers, worldwide.    

Mr Ericksen, the creator behind Plato Lighting – a contemporary, ‘kit-set’ lighting range made from plastic interlocking pieces that can be ‘played with’ to assemble a predetermined shape or a new design – was the only Kiwi finalist across all 30+ categories.  

Speaking from New York, where he has been showcasing the Plato Lighting range as part of the New York design festival, Mr Ericksen says: “I am absolutely thrilled to be an NYCxDESIGN Award Honoree. The New York design festival is the pinnacle of global design and to be selected as an award honoree – alongside some of the world’s best designers – is both exciting and humbling.”   

The honoree status will greatly enhance Mr Ericksen’s growing reputation as an ingenious designer. The four-time participant (and one time category winner) of the World of Wearable Art Show (WOW) hopes it will lead to a business deal that will enable him to take his products to the world.