Raphael Schlanger, age 11
Raphael Schlanger is the principal designer at Topolino Design. Born outside of New York City to artist parents, Schlanger was exposed to art and beautiful objects from the beginning. The family home and workspace was a unique structure that had originally been a train station. He was surrounded by art and creativity, and also encouraged by his parents to build and create pretty much anything he put his mind to.
When his bicycle was stolen at age 13, it led him to build a replacement from scavenged parts, which became the kernel for exploration of all things mechanical. After graduating from Rutgers University with a degree in mechanical engineering, he followed his dream to work in the bicycle industry. Since then, he has patented numerous inventions and has licensed designs to several prominent brands in the cycling industry. Eventually, Schlanger founded his own company, Topolino Technology, to manufacture and distribute innovative carbon fiber bicycle and wheelchair wheels of his own design. His products have won numerous awards, including the iconic Good Design award, the IDSA Industrial Design Excellence Award, and the Society of Plastics Engineers Design Award.
Schlanger is an experienced wood and metal worker and also has deep skills in the area of plastics and composites. He has designed and made his own furniture and constructions from a very young age and finds deep satisfaction in using his hands to work materials toward his vision. Since Schlanger closed Topolino Technology, he has shifted his focus toward designs for furniture and lighting, which he feels offers a compelling combination of art, design, and invention.
"To my eye, there is often great beauty in the structure of a piece and I prefer to embrace rather than obscure this aspect. I also find that materials have intrinsic qualities that inform how they want to be utilized. In my work, I strive to tell the story of a piece's structure, its materials, its construction, and its function. This may also include an element of the unexpected, adding a bit of intrigue and perhaps amusement."
Schlanger lives and works in western Connecticut and on Cape Cod.