Sebastian Herkner

German designer Sebastian Herkner has been a friend of ames for many years and visited Colombia with our founder Ana Maria multiple times.

He got to meet many of the men and women who still know how to make beautiful objects just as their ancestor did. From weavers in remote ateliers to pottery makers, they invited Sebastian to look them over the shoulder or lend a hand in their ateliers all over the country.

These trips also offered him the chance to experience Colombia’s nature, cities and way of life first hand. His experiences also informed the colour combinations and shapes of his designs for ames.

Sebastian was born in 1981 in Bad Mergentheim. He studied product design at the Hfg Offenbach am Main (Offenbach University of Art and Design), already focusing during his studies of object and furniture design, merging various cultural contexts, combining new technologies with traditional craftsmanship in order to highlight the multifaceted beauty of the materials and draw renewed attention to small details.

His intuition for materials, colours, textures and surfaces has made him a sought-after collaborator working with many international design brands. He’s also known for his interior designs and creating unique exhibition spaces. His contributions to contemporary design have been honoured with numerous prizes, including the IF Award, the Elle Deco International Design Award and Maison et Objet’s ‘Designer of the Year’ in 2019.