For Dan McMahon, making is a way of understanding a process of listening to the material, testing its limits and allowing unexpected possibilities to emerge through experimentation
Brooklyn-born designer Dan McMahon develops a material-led practice at the intersection of design, craft and experimentation. A graduate of Camberwell College of Arts, University of the Arts London, he approaches each work as an investigation into material and process, using extensive prototyping to uncover unexpected possibilities within seemingly familiar mediums.
His recent work focuses on plant fibre, transforming paper pulp into seamless, self-supporting sculptural forms through a distinctive process of layering and controlled shrinkage. The resulting pieces challenge conventional perceptions of paper, revealing its structural and atmospheric qualities while balancing material innovation with a refined, understated aesthetic.