Stephen Burks is a designer and educator. He believes in a pluralistic vision of design that is inclusive of all cultural perspectives. His ongoing Man Made project bridges the gap between authentic developing world production, industrial manufacturing, and contemporary design.
He and his studio, Stephen Burks Man Made, have been commissioned by many of the world’s leading design-driven brands to develop collections that engage hand production as a strategy for innovation for manufacturers worldwide. These include BD Barcelona Design, Bolon, Cappellini, Calligaris, Dedar, Dedon, Estée Lauder, Harry Winston, Living Divani, Luceplan, Missoni, Moroso, Roche Bobois, and Swarovski.

stephenburksmanmade.com

He has received numerous awards, including the Illinois Institute of Technology Alumni Professional Achievement Award, the Brooklyn Museum Young Modernist Award, the Architektur & Wohnen Audi Mentor Prize, the 2008 United States Artists Architecture & Design Target Fellowship Grant, and the 2015 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in product design.