The Concept of Identity and Culture in Three Collections of a Designer – Contemporary Elements

Abstract

OVERVIEWThis paper describes research on the concept of ‘identity’ and its development in the field of design. While the establishment of common points among philosophers indicates some contemporary understanding of this word, emerging practice may facilitate novel product ideas, as explored here in collections of the Brazilian designer, Brunno Jahara, named Compatriots, Transatlantic, and Multiplastic. Each one refers, respectively, to specific issues of the concepts of geographical identity, identity in colonized countries, and identity in the current globalized industrial times. During this process, a theory of space or gaps among places will be used as the basis of the question of identity in colonized cultures. We provide a practical understanding of how the concepts of identity and culture evolve design and share a reflection about collections elaborated on the product application concept.