em ef studio

Marie and Feline, please introduce yourself:

We’re Marie and Feline — twins, designers, artists. Together we run em ef studio, a space where ideas can move, tilt, wobble, grow and sometimes be thrown out again.

We started in illustration, spent years working side by side in film, and eventually shifted from 2D to 3D: from drawing to building. Today we work between Berlin and Frankfurt, developing objects that look playful at first glance but carry a quiet commentary underneath.

With em ef studio, we want to create moments — of reflection, of delight, of brief irritation. Small pauses in a fast world.

Portrait © Joseph Wolfgang Ohlert

#1 You both come from a background in film and drawing. How did that narrative and visual sensibility shape the way you approach object design today?

Everything begins with a sketch. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed. In fact, every one of our creative processes starts with a sketch. You have to bring what’s in your head into the world and find images for it. With objects, the sketches gradually evolve into something that truly works. With drawing, it’s different: at first, you can draw almost anything. But it’s similar to filmmaking — not everything that works in your head works in reality.

#2 ⁠When moving from storytelling in film to storytelling through objects, what stayed the same – and what fundamentally changed?

In film, you have the opportunity to create a unique space, a world of your own, through numerous images, cuts, lighting, locations, sounds and even music. Most of these components are absent when working with an object. We really have to reduce it to its essentials and still convey a mood and a story. That's naturally a challenge. A lot then comes down to the material itself, what we associate with it and how the elements relate to one another.

Studio Photos © Mariam Kasanova, Object Photos © em ef studio

#3 ⁠The Heimatlos Chair seems to carry a certain emotional and conceptual depth. What inspired the piece – and in your process, does the idea come first, or does the object lead the way?

The piece was inspired by a central question: Is it about living more efficiently? Or does the true value lie in the conscious negotiation between craftsmanship and digitalization? We focused on an object that perfectly embodies this tradition: a piece of furniture with more than 400 years of history, originating in a simpler society as the first chair with a backrest. We subject it to the lens of an ambivalent technology—3D printing. A process that represents accelerated design, digital sophistication, and an aesthetic of modernity. The visible grooves of the print, once merely a side effect, are now deliberately designed: digital fossils, ornamentation of the ephemeral. What does it mean when it is no longer craftsmen but machines that produce and shape our environment?

#4 The Items Bag touches on the transition between childhood and adulthood. How does this tension manifest in the piece?

As children, we spent a lot of time in our parents' architecture office. While they worked, we were free to help ourselves to the model-making drawers and use anything we found for crafting. There were also these little model figures and accessories, attached to a frame with thin plastic struts. The item bag is inspired by precisely this construction – and by the idea of making the inside of a bag, the personal belongings, visible to the outside. For us, the handbag symbolizes growing up, becoming a woman, spending hours in shopping malls, and experimenting with makeup. We find the connection between these two worlds particularly fascinating: the playful, creative world of childhood and the often confusing, sometimes seemingly meaningless world of young adults. Saying goodbye to our childhood was difficult, and many of the "teenage" activities initially made no sense to us. For us, the item bag symbolizes precisely this transition – the moment between childlike freedom and the search for one's own identity in adult life.

Items Bag © em ef studio

#5 The Strike Lamp looks almost like an element taken from a stage set or scene. What idea or reference lies behind it?

The Strike lamp is part of the "In the Moment" series. In this series, we explore  the concept of pausing, a state that feels out of place in today's society. We want to stretch the moment in a playful and joyful way, while still creating an object that appears clear and timeless.

#6 ⁠Color and material seem to play a decisive role in your work. How do you approach these elements – are they intuitive choices, or do they emerge from the story each object tells?

Most of the time they just seem logical to us. We love working with different and new materials. We're currently working on new pieces that incorporate wood, metal, and glass. But we don't limit ourselves in terms of materials. The material has to suit the piece and emphasize its concept. The color comes intuitively. We really like to work with red, as the so called oldest colour. It is tense and warm at the same time.

Studio Photos © Mariam Kasanova, Object Photos © em ef studio

#7 How do you see the role of an architect in today's society?

An architect should create spaces that foster pleasant coexistence and make optimal use of increasingly limited space. The main role of architects nowadays, in our opinion is, to find solutions for housing in the city. Create spaces that are affordable but still can feel like home, create connection and interaction with the neighbours, through shared spaces, open staircases etc., rather than isolation. We also find it very appealing when an object incorporates humor or a certain element of surprise.

#8 How does your environment influence your work?

Feline: I get inspired by the people at the workshop I am working in. The exchange about possibilitys and different projects influence the way I think about new ideas.

Marie: I believe in the principle of feeding the mind with impressions. Letting it be,  and then, at the right moment, thanks to a mixture of conscious thought and the subconscious, it spits out an idea.

We both love working on new ideas in public spaces. Just being in a space where you don't know anyone, but you're not alone. That's a tension we find very interesting.

© Joseph Wolfgang Ohlert

#9 Three things that inspire you at the moment?

bookstores
getting to know different materials
traditions and what they mean for people 

#10 What do you currently read, watch, listen to?

Read: on making less by Rikrit Tiravanija, a book about Enzo Mari, a book about colours and the novel Fabian by Erich Kästner.
Watch: the documenary series “Handwerkskunst” (SWR2). 
Listen: All kinds of science and culture podcasts. For example Hotel Matze.

Links
Instagram: @em_ef_studio
Website: emefstudio.com

Photos: © Joseph Wolfgang Ohlert, © Mariam Kasanova, © em ef studio
Interview by Caroline Steffen