ALEX KNEZO

Alex Knezo is a New York-based designer and multidisciplinary artist, primarily working in sculpture and drawing. 

His work embodies a fusion of meticulous detail and abstract form, at times as organic sculptures crafted from thousands of toothpicks or intricate drawings of body hair, inviting viewers into a realm where minutiae coalesce into larger, evocative compositions.

Knezo’s background in design, architecture, and engineering, coupled with his tenure in Japan, has greatly aided in shaping his artistic vision. This unique fusion enables him to draw from a rich tapestry of aesthetic influences beyond conventional art when evolving his practice, ranging from timeless craftsmanship and traditional materials to innovative, yet impersonal digital design tools. Within his work, precise mathematics meet raw unfinished structures meet abstract human sexuality.

His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo Designers Week, the University of Texas, Austin, and the Frist Art Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. Additionally, he assisted artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude in installing The Gates in Central Park.

design

In parallel to his artistic pursuits, Knezo maintains the eponymous Knezo Design Studio where he channels his creative energy into personal design projects.

Additionally, since 2016, he has worked with interdisciplinary design studio, Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), based in New York City. Within DS+R, Knezo is a central member of the studio’s independent projects team, contributing to a diverse array of performing and visual arts projects.

Prior joining DS+R, Knezo worked with Shigeru Ban Architects and Noiz Architects both in Tokyo and Steven Holl Architects in New York.



TIMELINE


2016     Joined Diller Scofidio + Renfro | New York

2014     Established Knezo Design Studio

2016     Relocated to New York City

2014     Established Knezo Design Studio

2012     Established studio_01 with Akinori Hamada | Tokyo

2009     Noiz Architects | Tokyo

2009     Relocated to Tokyo

2009     BSE Civil Engineering | Princeton University

2008     Steven Holl Architects | New York

2007     Shigeru Ban Architects | Tokyo

1987     Born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA

EXHIBITIONS


2014     Tokyo Designers Week | Tokyo, Japan | drift

2013     Tokyo Designers Week | Tokyo, Japan | slack circuit

2013     CURTAINS - UT Austin School of Architecture | Austin, TX | sora no kicho

2012     31st SD Review | Tokyo, Japan | dolphin house

2012     Museum of Contemporary Art | Tokyo, Japan | mildendo

2012     Tokyo Designers Week | Tokyo, Japan | barcode room

2012     ART Kameyama | Kameyama, Japan | kumiki

2004     Frist Art Museum | Nashville, Tennessee, USA | canopy I

AWARDS


2014     着物 × きもの × KIMONO, Dare to Dream Design Award | Finalist | drift

2013     CURTAINS, Center for American Architecture and Design | Finalist | sora no kicho

2012     31st SD Review | Finalist | dolphin house

2012     MOT Bloomberg Pavilion Competition | Award of Excellence | mildendo

2012     Tokyo Designers Week 2012 Able Space Competition | Grand Prix | barcode room

2009     Shanley Prize in Architecture | Finalist

projects with DS+R


2024     Restless Architecture | MAXXI Museum | Rome, Italy

2024     Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto | Power Station of Art | Shanghai, China

2023     Cartier, Islamic Art and Modern Design | Louvre Abu Dhabi | Abu Dhabi, UAE

2023     Paris Moderne | Power Station of Art | Shanghai, China

2022     Cartier and Islamic Art, In Search of Modernity | Dallas Museum of Art | Dallas, USA

2021     Cartier and Islamic Art, In Search of Modernity | Musée des Arts Décoratifs | Paris, France

2021     The Hare with Amber Eyes | The Jewish Museum | New York, USA

2021     Deep Blue Sea | Park Avenue Armory | New York, USA

2018     Mile-Long Opera | The High Line | New York, USA

2018     Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York, USA

2017     In 08:44, Out 20:16 | Princeton School of Architecture | Princeton, USA

2017     Off the Cuff | Palazzo Litta | Milan, Italy

2016     Pierre Chareau: Modern Architecture and Design | The Jewish Museum | New York, USA