Elinor Portnoy

Elinor Portnoy is a London based product designer with a focus on materials and crafting methods. She received her BA in product design from HIT, Israel graduating with distinction, and earned her MA from the Royal College of Art, London UK.

“Seeking to explore the origins of glass, my work refers to the elements glass is comprised of. Initially my intention was to collect varieties of sand from a unique geological feature in the desert where I grew up. I reminisced about a childhood experience where we’d fill old glass bottles with layers of coloured sand to resemble the crater’s stratified earth. However, I found out that the site is now a reservation prohibiting soil collection, in part because of its archeological importance. In contemplating the dwindling of natural resources, I considered how natural elements can be crafted. I fused layers of glass powder using ceramic moulds, inspired by the glass bottles of my childhood. This produces objects that evoke futuristic artificial elements of nature and the processes of natural formation. ”

She worked as a product designer for various companies in the creative industry while her own works have been displayed at international fairs such as the London Design Festival, Milan Design Week and Ambiente Messe Frankfurt featuring in prominent design magazines and publications and was selected by Wallpaper* magazine for their 2017 graduate list. Her works are sold internationally at various leading design stores and galleries.