Miami New Times' Mastermind Awards honors the city's most inspiring creatives. This year, we received more than 150 submissions, which our staff narrowed to an elite group of 30. We'll be profiling our honorable mentions, and eventually the finalists, in the weeks to come. This year's three Mastermind Award winners will be announced March 8 at Artopia, our annual soiree celebrating Miami culture. For tickets and more information, visit the website.
Bannavis Andrew Sribyatta
We'd first like to state for the record that we want Bannavis Andrew Sribyatta on commission to design our homes for us. Part sci-fi, part comforting cocoon, the environments he creates are as aesthetically pleasing as it gets. We're certain you'd agree.
Sribyatt uses the left side of his Columbia University-educated brain for architecture, interior design and designing furniture. The twist: Almost everything he creates is sustainable. His installations combine earth-friendly materials and household wastes -- thinking globally, but designing locally.
When he's not teaching architecture students at Florida International University or Miami-Dade College, the green design guru is gallivanting around Paris, Philadelphia, and New York exhibiting his designs. New Yorkers can find his work year-round as a permanent part of Cooper Hewitt's collection at the National Design Museum. The chair, titled "The Steel Tongue," is ostensibly only for fancy bottoms and/or grossly perverted individuals. (We at Cultist don't mind either.)
Plus, "The Steel Tongue" is the most bad-ass name you've ever heard, right? (Besides "Bannavis," of course.)
You can see his work all over the world, from condo buildings and car showrooms in Thailand, to Nobu restaurants in L.A. and San Diego to the Miami Science Museum, North Miami Jewish Community Center, and Sustain Restaurant & Bar in our own backyard.The man's a lean, green designing machine, churning out pretty interior design with a purpose -- and with near-universal appeal.
We could use a steel tongue or two in our office, Sribyatt. Just saying.
Honorable Mentions:
Sarah Kontoff Baker
Jason Snyder
Valeria Yamamoto
Jayme Gershen
Follow Cultist on Facebook and Twitter @CultistMiami.
