NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Design encompasses many disciplines. From architecture to fashion, graphic to urban, and industrial to experiential, often times, designers may mix multiple concepts together into one piece.

Throughout the process, designers start with a plan that gets turned into a prototype and ends with a product.

Cindy Hsu Zell is a designer and she creates beautiful works of art meant for the home.

“I make large scale wall sculptures out of sustainably sourced fibers, wood and metal,” said Zell. “I would say most of my work is material driven. I think that each piece serves as studies on gesture, curve, weight, and drape.”

Growing up in San Gabriel near the mountains, nature influences much of her work. She studied sculpture and animation at USC where she learned woodworking her freshman year. She loves to play with movement in her pieces, but starting a business as a designer presented new challenges and she’s happy to let the chips fall where they may.

“So I usually let gravity dictate the composition of my pieces. I usually let them hang the way they want to. I don’t like to force the materials too much and I like to let it do its thing,” said Zell.

Getting ready for the upcoming LA Design Festival, she's hoping to attract new clients and collaborators, namely interior designers that want to commission new work. Since every piece is hand-made and unique, her goal isn’t to grow, but to sustain using sustainable materials. 

“I think what makes L.A. unique is that if you are creative and you think of something to make, because the manufacturing industry in L.A. is so deep and diverse, you can pretty much make anything a reality in L.A. and that is something that's very attractive to designers,” said Haily Zaki, Founder of the LA Design Festival.

This year’s theme is 'Design With Purpose,’ and Zell’s purpose is to create conversation in your living space. Whether it’s silk, bamboo, wood or metal, each piece is meant to strike a chord.   

“I think a lot of times when people think about art, they think about it in terms of a gallery space,” said Zell. “When I think about design, I think about it as something very personal that’s in someone’s home or a public space that’s meant to be shared.”

Time to share your personal space.

The 9th Annual Los Angeles Design Festival runs June 20-23, 2019 at ROW DTLA located at 777 Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90021. For more info, visit: ladesignfestival.org