Wood, design and boundless passion

Do you know why I'm terribly glad this magazine exists? Because I get to meet amazing people who break out of the mould and choose to follow their dreams. And they do it with boundless passion. This time I met a young designer from Turda, Radu Călian, owner of the brandTilion sodiumwhose passion for wood makes him confidently overcome all obstacles. He is a 27-year-old who not only creates beautiful things, but also speaks beautifully. Watch him, please!

Wood Magazine: When did you start this activity? Do you have any design or architecture related studies?

Radu Călian: I've been drawn to design since high school, when I dreamed of studying automotive design. But I realised that this was a poorly developed field in our country, so I turned to design in general. After high school I applied to the University of Arts and Design in Cluj Napoca, but I was admitted only on a tuition basis. At the same time I was also admitted to the Technical University, industrial design section. Being on a budget I chose this path. Looking back, I can say that it was a lucky chance and I'm glad it happened that way. The advantage that a technical university has is that it develops your thinking in a different direction than an art university, it teaches you how products work and especially how they can be made. Of course, at the moment it also has a big disadvantage - the creative side and the subjects that directly involve creation are on the back burner and then you are more of an engineer than a designer, but creativity can also be cultivated individually. Since my last year at university I started freelancing on product design on existing online platforms. I focused on surface modelling, which I can later say has helped me a lot when modelling current products.

RdL: I understand you discovered wood a year and a half ago. How did it happen?

RC: In addition to feelancing, in the fall of 2014 I improvised a small rudimentary workbench on my balcony with a few hand tools. Although I had made a few objects out of different materials during college, wood appealed to me the most. I made a wooden spoon, a picture frame, a mirror frame and other small things - some were for myself, others I was giving as gifts. The feedback I received was positive and that encouraged me. I had found a new hobby that allowed me to express my creativity. But I didn't have the space, the tools or the experience. In March 2015 I moved into a 4 by 4 room. The space had grown a bit, but I still didn't have a clear idea about the future. It was still a sideline to freelancing. I made other items - combs, small wooden boxes, ashtrays - but they were still gifts for people.

The first object that I thought of to be a mass-produced product and that I insisted on more from a design point of view was a pair of wooden coffee cups.

But I don't yet have the equipment to mass produce them.

RdL: I have seen some original and interesting designs. Is the realization yours head-to-tail? You mean design, project, wood reworking, finishing, adding electrical part?

RC:First of all, thank you for your appreciation. At the end of 2015, the first orders from various friends for the items I made started to come in. For me this was and is a real joy. It is what sustains and encourages me to continue my work. The first larger, commissioned object was a relatively small sculpture (35 cm high) - "Watching Angel".

Then came the Morphoza chandelier, the Libra chandelier and last, the Epitet lamp. All made by me end-to-end. Concept, realisation, electrical part, everything up to the installation in the man's home. And they are all one-of-a-kind. Each object is made directly on wood, without sketches or 3D models. Each part is drawn in pencil directly on the wood and thought out as we go. In this case, the concept is born with the finished product, design, design and execution are interwoven. Without a manufacturing pattern and standardized manufacturing process the process is slower, but I like it because I don't have to skimp on creativity. If an idea comes to me along the way and I think it's better, I'm free to experiment and implement it. Of course, from object to object you accumulate experience, you add another tool to make it easier to work and the process is never the same. It's always like the start of a long hike and you come to the front of a mountain - each time you learn and learn how to shape easier, how to assemble easier, how to get the desired effect easier. As you venture further you see how much more you have to learn. Both on the making side and on the wood finishing side. At the start of the business I wouldn't have thought there were so many ways to finish a piece of wood. And I realize I still have a lot to learn.

RdL: Of all the projects so far, which one is closest to your heart? And which have you found the most difficult?

RC: At the moment I am still exploring, still trying to define a style, a look that I want to offer. My desire is to offer an alternative to the minimalist design of now and to offer a different kind of beauty for those people who want to break out of the mainstream. I want to express depth through organic shapes, but in more raw lines, not highly finished. The greatest satisfaction is when you see the customer's reaction. At first he doesn't know exactly what he's going to get. I always make a proposal, but not concrete, not with a concept set on paper, but with the promise that I will exceed his expectations. And so far it has worked, the feedback has always been positive. For me that makes the process special and I dedicate myself to each product, I put a part of my soul, I put love into that object. The latest creation is always fresher in my mind and it seems natural to love more what I have recently made. At the moment the Epitet lamp is the most soulful creation because it is fresh in my mind.

I would say it also involved the most effort. Being a solid body there was more hand work in shaping and finishing the form. I think from object to object I have the chance to discover myself more and more as a designer and as an artist. Each object is an opportunity to show what I feel about design, about the creative work, it is a foray into the soul and mind of the creator. Creativity is the main means of transport that takes you and shows you what to do and how to make that object. Of course, the process is refined and cultivated over time, and I'm just getting started. It's a process that takes time to mature, a process you can't rush. That's why I believe that every creator, artist, designer who loves his creation is also at the same time complex about some aspects that he knows he could have done better.

RdL: Describe in a few words your studio: where it is, what it is equipped with, what it lacks.

The studio... the idea of a studio, of a design studio, I've had since college. Even then I knew I wanted to have an office/studio/space where I could develop, where I could do what I love. It wasn't clear to me what I was going to focus on, what products I was going to make and how I was going to do it all, but I had the idea and the desire. I could say that the studio is always in my heart and mind, but sometimes it changes the physical place. The studio I'm trying to give birth to is called "Tilion studio", under the brand "Tilion". This year I made the decision to move from Cluj back to Turda, where I am from, in order to reduce maintenance and running costs. In the winter of 2015 we had a break-in in Cluj. I was left without my electric hand tools. Although it was demoralizing, the event pushed me, motivated me. I was able to purchase other, larger, more diverse equipment to enable me to carry out my work. Ideally, I would like to be able to buy new equipment, but for the moment I am content with second-hand equipment. The studio itself is in its infancy; I moved in in September and I'm still getting the layout and equipment right. It will have an office area, a reception area and studio space. It's still far from what I want, but the idea is starting to take shape. I have a combination machine - circular, auger, milling machine - for finer things, a banzic, electric drill, drill press and other hand held power tools. Of course, like any enthusiast I still feel the need for other tools, I'd like a thickness planer, a lathe and a CNC router. But I'm optimistic that they will come in due course. Until then I'm concentrating on setting up the space.

RdL: How would you introduce yourself if you had to talk about yourself? Say 3 words that characterize you.

RC:Speaking objectively about yourself is quite difficult, but I'll try. I'd prefer, however, to talk about the image I want to project to the outside world. I think every person I know perceives me differently than others or than myself. This accumulation of perceptions of people close to me and people I know helps us to realise what we are like. I can tell you up front that I am stubborn. I usually choose to do what I love and stay stubbornly in that direction. Of course, I am neither deaf to the opinions of others nor stupid to disregard suggestions. I try to put everything that comes my way through my personal filter and see whether or not it helps me, how I might use that information.

Even though I'm not the most sociable person I know, I'm a people lover. I like people just the way they are, and if they are sincere and warm, all the better. That's how I'd like to be perceived. I'm probably also a dreamer. I don't think I'd ever discover what I like to do without dreaming, imagining. And here again comes the stubbornness of staying true to desire, of pursuing your dreams despite the obstacles that come your way. I'm human like everyone else - I think, talk and try to do my best. I try to be persistent and consistent. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail, but I guess that's part of the growing up process. To sum up in 3 words how I see myself - passionate, direct, lucky.

RdL: I can say that we are lucky too, because we met you. Good luck in all you do!