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Member Focus: Alex Dobocan
One of our newest freeman, Alex Dobocan, head of PR at The Furniture Ombudsman, talks about why she wanted to become a member of The Furniture Makers’ Company.
Status: freeman
Who is your design hero and why?
My design hero would have to be Constantin Brancusi.
A pioneer of modernism, and one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th-century, today Brancusi is called the patriarch of modern sculpture. He was a Romanian sculptor, who made his career in France. Although mostly known for his sculptures which fill museums around the world, he also designed furniture.
Like most notable artists, Gauguin, Picasso, Derain and others, Brancusi sought inspiration in non-European cultures, and looked for the mystical. However, most of his designs emerge from Romanian folk art, traceable through Byzantine and Dionysian traditions. To me, designs with influences from a world before electricity and the industrial revolution carry a charge of wonder.
What was your first job connected to the furnishings sector?
My current job with The Furniture Ombudsman, heading the organisation’s communications and PR department.
When did you first get involved with The Furniture Makers’ Company?
I found out about the company before I even started working in the industry, from my CEO, Kevin Grix.
I became involved with the communications committee after a couple of months in my new role, back in May, and I was made a Freeman on the 19th of December this year.
What do you see as the benefits of being involved in The Furniture Makers’ Company?
I believe it’s hard to give anything meaning without a point of reference. Benchmarking is very important in business, as is keeping close relationships with stakeholders in the industry. The Furniture Makers gives us a unique perspective on the whole industry and it nurtures valuable relationships. To add to this, getting involved in the Company’s charitable initiatives offers invaluable intrinsic rewards.
What is your favourite thing about the furnishings sector?
The history. Although the industrial revolution and automation changed the industry, tales from the Victorian Age and before tell a story of passionate craftsmanship. Moving forward from then, the industry had to constantly readapt to a reality of mass production and an ever changing consumer demand.