This series, COLLECTIBLE In-Depth, unveils the backstage of contemporary creation. Tackling various topics from personal designer processes to the position of collectible design on the global design market, COLLECTIBLE In-Depth offers different views to suit all tastes. Today we talk to Taras Yoom, who founded The Yoomoota Universe.

C: Can you talk about a new piece / collection that you release for COLLECTIBLE this year?

TY: Firstly, I'm thrilled to participate in Collectible and showcase a whole booth comprising several works. This year, Yoomoota will present new chairs crafted with meticulous attention to detail using metal, wood, and felt. I love these materials because they're natural and, moreover, they can convey ideas more profoundly. There are ‘Inflated Ass’, which illustrates an inflated plant from the planet of Paradise, and ‘Chloroplast’, created with the idea to playfully represent one of the essential plant cells synthesizing glucose from carbon dioxide and water using solar energy.

Additionally, I'll be unveiling a couple of significant pieces I've long wanted to create, seeking opportunities to showcase them. This includes a table named ‘Don’t play with food’ that imitates elements of children's toys, more specifically, a colorful block construction set. Also, a sideboard — ‘Homo erectus’ — is a multilayer object of natural origin that came to us from the past. For me, these works are sculptural and highly illustrative in terms of ideology. There will be my artistic limited-edition figures and a lamp that combines extensive manual labor with the integration of modern technology. Furthermore, I'll complement the stand with paintings to showcase the history to which my works are tied.

C: How did you get into collectible design? Why did you focus your practice on this type of design rather than industrial design?

TY: Since my youth, I've been engaged in 3D modeling, wanting to create stories and the main characters of these stories. Initially, I tried myself in industrial design, but over time, I realized that aesthetics, visual beauty, are equally functional and just as effective. A vast amount of internal functioning depends on our nervous system, so contemplating artworks is an important activity. Working in this direction, I also study people around me and myself, attempting to understand them through myself and myself through them. It's an analysis of objective and subjective sensations expressed in art pieces. Thus, the objects I create can be attributed to a part of a new direction, based on the nature of human beings blended with animation and light surrealism.

C: What makes design collectible in your eyes?

TY: Primarily, it's about the idea, followed by execution and history — both of the object and the author. Collectible design is always crafted by the author and is accountable through their reflection. In my work, I usually incorporate an educational subtext that is accessible to everyone. I believe that by teaching people to ask questions, they can revisit fundamental themes and strive to improve the quality and duration of life. Practicing this kind of mindfulness invariably leads to a higher quality of life, benefiting not only individuals but also those around them.Therefore, my pieces serve as a manual for understanding the world, providing a straightforward guide to our surroundings, transforming them into more than just collectible objects.

C: What are the key questions you ask yourself before starting to conceptualize a new piece?

TY: The process of my work is an ongoing cognitive journey from start to finish. Before embarking on conceptualizing a new piece, I ask myself what I feel and how I can convey it. It's similar to a child constantly asking "why?" in childhood, gradually digging deeper into the question, making it increasingly complex to answer. In my work, studying all the subjects thoroughly is crucial, leading to a point where genuine answers are found. Then, I contemplate how I can connect with this object and how others might perceive it. But primarily, it's a thought from within me because I am a human being, part of humanity, and any creation from my hands is a reflection similar to that of others. Perhaps slightly different, but its essence is universal and familiar to all.

C: Where do you take your inspiration from?

TY: The greatest source of inspiration for me has always been nature, with its mysteries and wonders. Over time, I've come to realize that what truly inspires me are the states and processes of conscious living. It can strike at any moment: after a visit to the doctor in the hospital, during a wild party, or simply while taking a leisurely stroll in the park. It's a somewhat elusive state, especially as we age. It happens as something extraordinary, much like in childhood when we look around and feel the currents of the wind on our face and hands, when we sense the scents and the very mobility of the air. Nowadays, it's not as easy to come by. Sometimes, we find ourselves slipping into nostalgia upon catching a familiar scent or sighting a familiar scene. It becomes increasingly challenging for us to be amazed, which is why those fleeting moments of feeling and comprehending life become the most potent source of inspiration.

COLLECTIBLE: Why do you focus on contemporary collectible design? What does it mean for you?

Taras Yoom: The focus of my work isn't so much centered around the idea that it must be collectible design. Primarily, it's about the birth of function, image, form, and color. It's only afterwards that viewers, people, define it within the framework of collectible design. My pieces revolve around the Universe of ourselves. It serves as a space for self-reflection, describing our inner workings, thought processes, and our relationships. I enjoy creating limited-edition works, so that my furniture pieces and more become part of the Yoomoota universe, each item possessing an ideological foundation and carrying a story.