Stories of Passion and Dedication
CARPASUS Portrait: Fritz Gräber
Fritz Gräber is a Zurich based designer. He designs and develops products, furniture and lighting with a focus on perspectives, (a-) symmetries and a clear sense of colour and form. He is also active in interior design. He has been a craftsman since childhood and holds a Master's degree in Product Design from ECAL in Lausanne. His projects include the redesign of the Swiss embassy in Riyadh, the lighting concept for the Wildenmann cinema and furniture collections for well-known brands such as HAY, which he realises on his own, with partners or with his wife.
Those who have known CARPASUS for some time will know that he has also modelled
for us. We met him for a chat in his studio on the SBB Werkstadt site.
Who are you?
I am a product designer. I live and work in Zurich. I make furniture, products, light and I engage with spatial concepts.
What would be an object that describes you well and easily fits in your bag?
That would be the folding ruler. I think it's a tool that has precision, but also allows a certain flexibility in measuring. It's an object I often use designing to estimate sizes and proportions.
What drives you?
Hannes, my business partner, always compares our work to fishing. We cast out the line and hope that something will bite here and there. The twitch of the line and the feeling that a design idea will catch on; that's what drives me.
I think I'm a materialist – in the sense that I like materials.
How did you find your passion?
Working with my hands and being a craftsman has been with me since I was young. I started welding and building instruments when I was 13. Vehicles, motorbikes and bikes in general have always been a theme in my life. I think I'm a materialist in the sense that I like materials. All these aspects have made me feel extremely comfortable in what I do today...
...Working with materials, designing things?
Yes, exactly. For example, I recently cleaned my car and rubbed it with a towel afterwards. And then I realised again, how nice it is to physically feel the shape of an object.
How, in your opinion, a good form is defined?
It has to captivate me for a long time, without getting boring, I believe. It should not be overloaded. It has to be understandable. I have to be able to look at objects and understand them. But it may show certain components that are unusual at first glance. If they are applied in the right dose, I consider such a form as interesting.
What does your passion mean to you?
Everything – this is what I would have said spontaneously. But that would probably be going a bit too far. I just want that what I work on functions, wish for my passion to be my profession and to be able to make a living from it. I've been self-employed for almost 6 years. And it works. I have my office here, I work on exciting projects with Hannes, my business partner, alone or together with my wife, who is an interior designer.
[A form] should not be overloaded. It has to be understandable. I have to be able to look at objects and understand them.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
This is a question I often ask myself. I think from the world out here. That's why I like working here on this site, the SBB Werkstadt site. There are so many old industrial components here. I notice small details that inspire me. The way a street panel is attached to a post; the transitions in building structures. Observing such details start to form ideas in my head.
You also have the sensitivity for all these forms, of course.
Yes. Because I love working with materials. And by materials, I don't just mean wood or metal. Everything is material. This chair here is material or even motorbikes. I work with my hands all the time and I learn a lot through that.
Everything is material. [...] I work with my hands all the time and learn a lot through this.
Is there a person or an event that has particularly influenced you?
There are many people who have influenced or fascinated me. I like when people are approachable. One person who inspires me a lot is Jürg Winterberg from Girsberger. He knows how to empower people and connect them with each other. I got to know him at a vernissage because he has such tattooed fingers. I probably had one too many glasses of white wine and approached him because of this. This led to a business relationship that has now lasted 15 years and has resulted in a steady stream of projects.
Are there places you find particularly inspiring?
Yes, I do like industrial-looking places. The raw nature of industrial buildings. Everything seems organised and untidy at the same time. I like that. One half of me is very organised - the other is chaotic. I think that's probably what it needs.
One half of me is very organised - the other is chaotic. I think that's probably what it needs.
The wildly creative, which then merges with the structured to create a product in the end...?
Yes, and you need a tendency to overestimate yourself. That was the case with this chair. Hannes and I had a utopian vision of this seat and backrest that could be clamped onto the metal frame. Developing the idea into a product that could be realised industrially. That was the challenge and with the necessary willpower we finally realised our idea and brought it to market with New Works from Denmark.
What would you say a typical week or a typical day looks like for you?
I have a fairly regular daily routine. I'm here at 9 o'clock. I've usually taken the children to nursery before then. I'm back home at around 5.30 pm. I have a relatively short working day. And when it takes more, it's in the evening.
Is there a time when you are particularly creative?
Yes, before I go to sleep.
When your mind switches off?
Yes, actually. That's when I often think of solutions to current challenges. I'm good at dreaming, and I often dream consciously.
Are there any rituals or habits that help you to stay creative and motivated?
Moments of success motivate me a lot. Moments when I realise that a design works and a product is well received. That gives me a lot of energy.
When I realise a design works and a product is well received – that gives me a lot of energy.
What importance do fashion and clothing have for you?
I really like clothes. I like to be well-dressed and have my quirks with certain things. I hate shoes with soft soles that make me feel like I'm walking around in heels. Or – what are those leather shoes with the transparent rubber soles called?
Clarks?
Wow, when I walk around in them, I feel like everyone is looking at me. They don't work at all. I like solid things. And I'm probably a bit vain too. Recently, I was wearing sunglasses on a rainy day and my sister looked at me in amazement. I replied, ‘Hey, that looks good’. Fashion can also bring lightness to life. Is it a grey day? Never mind. I put on my sunglasses anyway.
Fashion can bring some lightness to life.
What values in dealing with other people and the environment do you find particularly important?
I find openness towards other people and the world in general extremely important. Then, of course, in my job as a designer, I also deal with the issue of sustainability on a daily basis. My approach here is that the products are appealing because they are perceived as beautiful and comfortable, because they fulfill their function for as long as possible. For example, I would find it wrong to design a chair made from a new type of mushroom material purely for the sake of innovation, which is initially perceived as very environmentally friendly but then only lasts five years. Incorporating sustainable cleverness into a product makes perfect sense, but in my opinion it should not be the reason for buying a product. I think it's important to think about how things are assembled and how they can be taken apart or repaired right from the start when designing products.
I think it's important to think about how things are assembled and how they can be taken apart or repaired right from the start when designing products.
I have one last question for you. What plans and dreams do you have for the future?
Always keep going! My ultimate goal is to be able to work on exciting projects. I hope to be able to continue working in the same way as I do now.
Fritz' Look
What's behind
CARPASUS Portraits
CARPASUS Portraits showcases inspiring, bold and creative individuals from our community who give their all for their passion. We visit them in their studios, kitchens, ateliers, offices, and workshops, chat with them, and photograph them in their favorite CARPASUS pieces.
Photos: Simon Costabiei