MICHELLE IVANKOVIC was born in Toronto, Canada, where she also grew up. In 1998, she graduated at the top of her class from Ontario College of Art and Design's Industrial Design program. Out of design school, she worked as a fine woodworker, making furniture, and then went on to work at Umbra as a creative visionary, responsible for the pioneering art direction and cohesive product language of Umbra's U+ Collection. She currently works out of her studio in Amsterdam. »
In my kindergarten class, we had a beautiful dinosaur silhouette made of wood. One day, I sawed it into pieces, nailed the pieces back together, and painted the newly-formed structure cobalt blue. I decided it was an airplane. As I flew this airplane around the classroom, the teacher stopped me and asked me where I had gotten the wood to build the airplane. I explained that I had destroyed the class's treasured dinosaur. Thankfully, she laughed. To this day, I continue to make things without fear of disapproval. »
Paul Rowan and Les Mandelbaum, www.umbra.com
Linda and Dr. Irwin Berman, www.irwinbermanart.com
Cooper Hewitt Museum, www.cooperhewitt.org
The Jewish Museum, New York, www.thejewishmuseum.org
Goodwill retail, www.goodwill.com
Photographs: Chris Barnes & Danielle Matar »
