After completing a BA in Fine Art and Art History, followed by an MA in Museum Studies specialising in Art, Charlotte has worked in the commercial arts for ten years.  Her experience includes selling to both retail and trade clients, through exhibitions, private views, art fairs and the internet.

 

Charlotte’s role at Hidden Art is to oversee the relatively new e-commerce website www.hiddenartshop.com, continuing to build on its initial success in generating income both for the designer-maker and Hidden Art. She is also involved in various Eshop linkedshowcasing opportunities, such as House and Garden, London and First hand 3, Tokyo.

 

 

 

Kumala S. Nio joined Hidden Art in February 2006 as Sales and Marketing Assistant. Previously, she worked for an outsourcing firm as the Marketing Co-ordinator.

 

Also a freelance web and graphic designer, her portfolio includes work for a casting agency in Soho and a beauty spa in New York City.

 

Kumala graduated in 2005 from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication. Whilst studying, she had also gained experience working in administration, advertising, design, sales and customer services.

 

Originally from Indonesia, Kumala has lived in the U.S. and Canada.

 

 

 

Black met Blum at the University of Northumbria from where they both graduated with a first in Design for Industry.  They set up black+blum in 1998 initially as a design consultancy but very soon decided to launch their own range of products. 

 

Funds were tight so the ethos was simple:  no tooling costs.

 

Maintaining this ethos a range of four innovative (and entertaining) lights was created and launched at 100% Design in 2000.  The response was exceptional.  Their future was mapped.  black+blum = product designers

 

From the start their aim was to be minimal, environmentally conscious but above all to give products soul. This integrity and charm remains a trademark of all black+blum products.

 

The success of the initial range allowed for more sophisticated manufacturing methods to be used.  This led to the development and production of the type of products associated with large design houses and manufacturers, such as the desk fan (2003) and soon-to-be-launched domestic bin.   There are now 21 different products in the black+blum range.

 

Their design input does not stop with the product itself.  The packaging has also become part of the black+blum trademark.  It either has a function beyond packaging or it is ultra minimal. The packaging of their wine rack for example turns into a bottle storage after its primary use. Most of their packing is made from undyed recycled cardboard.

 

black+blum are based at their studio/shop at Oxo Tower Wharf on London’s South Bank.