Recent products and publications of Pratt Institute alumni and faculty include home decor, playful literature, and a new Forever stamp honoring a celebrated Pratt writer-illustrator.
Ecophilia (Available Items)
Constantin Boym, Professor of Industrial Design
Constantin Boym was on sabbatical at his home in rural Esopus, New York, in 2022–2023 when he began to conduct research into the habitats and living spaces of animals in his area. Soon he was creating habitats of his own. Now, they’ve been collected in a book for anyone to make. Ecophilia functions as a practical guide, with easy-to-follow plans and photographs for anyone to construct habitats for creatures from birds to toads. Available at availableitems.com.
Barnacle Hanging Lamp
Kenneth Cobonpue, BID ’91
Kenneth Cobonpue has spent years unifying traditional craftsmanship with avant-garde techniques by weaving elements of the natural world into his work. With the Barnacle Hanging Lamp, Cobonpue has turned to what he calls “one of nature’s most beautiful random creations” for inspiration. Cobonpue’s Barnacle Collection, which was a finalist in the Lighting Category at the International Furnishings & Design Association (IFDA) Selects program, features this rice paper lamp. The lamps are hand assembled, ensuring that each takes on a unique figure. Learn more at kennethcobonpue.com.
Lift Trivet by Fruitsuper
Sallyann Corn, BID ’09, Joe Kent, BID ’09
Featured in Wirecutter as one of the “20 Gifts That’ll Last Forever (or Extremely Close),” Sallyann Corn and Joe Kent’s Lift Trivet by Fruitsuper takes on the shape and sophistication of a minimalist art piece for a practical problem: to protect your tabletop from hot pots and warm dishes. Utilizing a design that ages from a sleek brass finish to a richer, rustic tone, the Lift Trivet was praised by Wirecutter for being “beautiful enough to always be on display.” Available at fruitsuper.com.
Tomie dePaola Forever Stamps by USPS
Tomie dePaola, BFA ’54 (1934–2020)
In celebration of the life and career of Tomie dePaola, USPS has printed a special stamp displaying the work of the singular prolific children’s book author and illustrator. It features a detail from the cover of the first installment of dePaola’s Caldecott Honor–winning Strega Nona series. The stamp shows the titular hero with her signature magic pasta pot, and a tiny heart in the corner representing one of dePaola’s favorite graphic elements and Strega Nona’s key ingredient, love. Available at usps.com.
Clover Coffee Table by Grain
Chelsea Minola, BFA Interior Design ’02
Chelsea Minola has spent the last 15 years working with her husband, James Minola, on Grain, a studio focused on designing furniture, lighting, textiles, and objects made from socially and environmentally responsible materials. Debuting at Colony, a cooperative gallery, design studio, and strategy firm, their Clover Coffee Table is a keystone of their latest collection, Clover, “a continuation of Grain’s research and fascination with cork, a material that is rapidly renewable, carbon positive, and completely biodegradable.” Available at graindesign.com.
Zilot & Other Important Rhymes (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Erin Odenkirk, BA Critical and Visual Studies ’23, and Bob Odenkirk
“What can I create in lockdown, surrounded by my family?” This was the question that inspired Erin Odenkirk and her father, Bob, to create the illustrated children’s book Zilot & Other Important Rhymes in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on aspects of everyday life, the book builds upon poems that were originally written by Bob with Erin and her brother Nate when they were children, and expands these works into a playfully illustrated world. Available at hachettebookgroup.com.
Bravespace Compilation Art
Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, MFA Communications Design ’15
Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, whose work has recently appeared at Lincoln Center and the Museum of the City of New York, has contributed to a new project from the Smithsonian Institution, providing cover art and web-exclusive animations for their Asian Pacific American Center’s Bravespace compilation. This collection of music from Asian American women and nonbinary artists ranges from ambient sound art to soulful pop. The album is available on all major streaming platforms. Learn more at apa.si.edu.
PaniEl Scarf
Elke Reva Sudin, BFA Communications Design (Illustration) ’09
Elke Reva Sudin’s limited-edition series of scarves arrives with a bent toward social justice, applying a wearable work of art that celebrates “the divine feminine.” This scarf features “unapologetically psychedelic” prints and is available in both 100 percent silk and a hybrid of silk and modal. The name translates from Hebrew into “Face of God,” as a way to honor Sudin’s Jewish heritage, and is a reference to the pineal gland. Sudin hopes for her scarf to serve “as a reminder for us to remain open to receiving new ideas and information.” Available at elkerevasudin.com.