Vadim Kibardin

For many years, Vadim Kibardin's design practice has been recognised for experimenting with materials and developing unparalleled construction techniques. His work encourages positive social impact by awakening our collective human responsibility to the environment.

Vadim Kibardin graduated from the Ural State Academy of Architecture and Art’s Industrial Design Department, Ekaterinburg in 1996. An internationally critically-acclaimed designer, Vadim was listed by Wallpaper* magazine in its list of the 40 designers “who will change the world”, along with Jonathan Eve, Ora Ito, John Maeda and the Bouroullec brothers. He currently works and lives in Prague.

Kibardin places equal emphasis on both innovation and functionality. He takes the minimalist philosophy of stripping an object to its essential features to a completely new level. With his iconic Black Paper and Totem collections, Vadim offers his contribution towards achieving a circular economy, creating sculptural, highly aesthetic and fully functional furniture from cardboard waste. Kibardin’s approach to design emphasizes both innovation and functionality. He takes the minimalist philosophy of stripping an object to its essentials to a completely new level. By exploring new ideas, materials and technologies, and executing them well, Kibardin’s work is highly artistic, smart and always inspiring.

Vadim Kibardin was nominated in the Design section of the 2013 World Technology Awards. Ross Lovegrove said that Vadim Kibardin opened his eyes on Russian design. Vadim was the only designer to be given the German Chancellor’s grant in the area of industrial design. He has organized and participated in more than 30 personal and group exhibitions. Kibardin is an inventor, author, scientist, and artisan. His designs bring about a positive social impact, materialize an ideology, and trigger specific human behavior. Most of his time is spent looking for materials or technologies that define the future of humanity.